HerStoryOurStoryNG

A European Union campaign in partnership with the IIDEA, seeking to end all forms of sexual & gender based violence. @euinnigeria

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is not a luxury. It is essential infrastructure — as important as roads, hospitals, and schools.

And yet:
🔴 Nigeria has only 52 SARCs across 25 states
🔴 11 states have NO SARC at all
🔴 Over 50,000 survivors have accessed SARC services from 2013 - 2025, but millions more had nowhere to go

A system that protects survivors must include a SARC in every state — funded, staffed, and open 24/7.

To every governor yet to establish a SARC:
Survivors in your state are waiting.
Your budget is a statement of your priorities.
Make survivors a priority.

#HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndGBV #FundTheSARCs #JusticeForSurvivors #SupportSurvivors #GenderJustice

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

A Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is not a luxury. It is a lifeline.

For survivors of sexual and gender based violence, a SARC provides access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal referrals, and protection, all in one place.

Yet many survivors still do not have access to these essential services simply because they live in a state without a functional SARC.

This must change.

State governments have a responsibility to protect survivors. That responsibility begins with funding, staffing, and sustaining Sexual Assault Referral Centres.

Every survivor deserves timely care.
Every state should have a SARC.
No survivor should be left behind.

📞 0806 429 2526
🌐 https://t.co/82hadCaNtz

#HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndGBV #FundTheSARCs #JusticeForSurvivors #SupportSurvivors #GenderJustice

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

In many Nigerian courts, Sexual and Gender Based Violence cases compete with every other criminal matter. For survivors, that often means months or even years of waiting for justice.

Every delay prolongs trauma.
Every adjournment creates opportunities for intimidation.
Every backlog weakens confidence in the justice system.

Dedicated Sexual Offence Courts can change this by:

✅ Fast tracking SGBV cases
✅ Providing judges trained in trauma informed justice and SGBV law
✅ Reducing the risk of survivors being re traumatised during court proceedings
✅ Preventing perpetrators from exploiting lengthy delays

Yet only a handful of states have dedicated Sexual Offence Courts.

Every state should have one.
Every survivor deserves one.

To every governor and lawmaker:
Build the courts. Fund the courts. Staff the courts.

Join the call for a justice system that puts survivors first.
#HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndGBV #JusticeForSurvivors #SexualOffenceCourts #GenderJustice #EndSGBV

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

35 states have passed the VAPP Act.

But between January and April 2026 alone, Nigeria recorded 2,755 GBV cases. Only 4% were prosecuted.

A law without implementation is just paper.

Survivors are not waiting for another bill to be signed. They are waiting for the courts to be built, the SARCs to be funded, the officers to be trained, and the perpetrators to be prosecuted.

From law to life is not a small step. It is an entire system that must be built — deliberately, urgently, and without excuse.

This is what #HerStoryOurStoryNG is demanding. And we will not stop until it is done.

Source: Minister of Women Affairs, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, 2026

📞 Need support? Call our free helpline: 0806 429 2526
#EndSGBV #VAPPAct #NigeriaJustice #SystemsChange #HerStoryOurStory #SurvivorFirst

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

MYTH OR TRUTH?

The belief that the system is already doing enough to protect survivors is a myth.

The truth is that 2,755 GBV cases were documented in Nigeria between January and April 2026 alone, yet only 4% of reported cases have been successfully prosecuted.

Every unresolved case represents a survivor still waiting for justice. Every delay weakens confidence in the systems meant to protect those who have experienced violence.

Ending gender based violence requires more than reporting. It requires timely investigations, survivor centered support, accountability, and a justice system that delivers.

The conversation cannot stop at awareness. It must lead to action.

Source: Hon. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, The Guardian Nigeria.

#HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndGBV #JusticeForSurvivors #GenderJustice #Accountability #StopGBV #Nigeria

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

It takes immense courage for a survivor to walk into a police station. But too often, that courage is met with a single, crushing question: "What were you wearing?"

When law enforcement fails a survivor at the first point of contact, the entire justice system fails. This isn't just a story—it is the daily reality for thousands of women across Nigeria.

We are calling for immediate institutional reform. Our frontline officers must be trained to support, not suspect.

We demand that law enforcement agencies:
🛑 Train officers in trauma-informed response.
🛑 Believe survivors first, investigate thoroughly.
🛑 Refer and support — never dismiss.

Her story is our story. 💜

📞 GET HELP: If you or someone you know needs confidential support, guidance, or counseling, please reach out to the HSOS Hotline immediately at 0806 429 2526.

#HerStoryOurStory #EndSGBV #PoliceReform #SurvivorJustice

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

HAPPY NEW MONTH! 💜
Welcome to July.
A new month. A new opportunity to do better.
Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria is not the responsibility of one person or one organisation. It is the responsibility of ALL of us.
To every lawmaker, judge, police officer, and prosecutor reading this — July is your opportunity to act.
To every Nigerian — July is your opportunity to speak up, show up, and refuse to stay silent.
You can help end violence against women. 💜
📞 0806 429 2526

🌐 https://t.co/82hadCaNtz
#HerStoryOurStoryNG #HappyNewMonth #EndSGBV #JulyGoals #NigeriaJustice #EndGBV #YouCanHelp

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

When girls are out of school, they are not just missing education — they are losing their most important layer of protection.

A peer-reviewed study published in February 2025 found that nearly 7 in 10 adolescents in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence by age 12, with out-of-school adolescents at even greater risk.

This is not acceptable. This is not inevitable. This is a policy failure.

We are calling on lawmakers and government to:
🔴 Keep girls in school — it is protection, not just education
🔴 Fund SARCs in every state
🔴 Enforce the VAPP Act — fully, not selectively

💜 #HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndSGBV #NigeriaJustice #GBVAwareness #SurvivorFirst

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

"Sort it out within the family."

It is one of the most common things survivors of sexual violence hear in Nigeria — from neighbours, from community leaders, from the very people who should be protecting them.

And it is one of the most dangerous.
Family settlement does not bring justice. It brings silence. It protects perpetrators. And it tells survivors that their pain is a private inconvenience, not a crime.

Let us be clear: Sexual violence is a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act exists precisely because this is not a family matter. It is a matter for the courts, for prosecutors, and for the justice system.
To every judge, prosecutor, law enforcement officer, and community leader reading this:
When you encourage settlement, you are not keeping the peace.

You are keeping the perpetrator safe. 💜
Share this post. Someone in your community needs to see it today.
📞 0806 429 2526
🌐 https://t.co/82hadCaNtz
#EndSGBV #HerStoryOurStory #MythVsFact #JusticeReform #SurvivorJustice #NigeriaJustice #VAPPAct #EndGBV

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

Ngozi reported her assault.
She was told to come back tomorrow.
Tomorrow became next week. Next week became never.

The case was never filed.
The perpetrator was never prosecuted.
Ngozi never came back to the station.

This is Nigeria's justice gap — and it is happening right now, in states across the country.

We are demanding:
🔴 Dedicated sexual offence courts
🔴 Trained prosecutors who understand trauma
🔴 Case tracking systems that prevent survivor cases from being abandoned
🔴 Zero tolerance for case withdrawal under family or community pressure

Justice delayed is justice denied.

#JusticeGap #EndSGBV #HerStoryOurStory #NigeriaJustice

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

Ngozi reported her assault.
She was told to come back tomorrow.
Tomorrow became next week. Next week became never.

The case was never filed.
The perpetrator was never prosecuted.
Ngozi never came back to the station.

This is Nigeria's justice gap — and it is happening right now, in states across the country.

We are demanding:
🔴 Dedicated sexual offence courts
🔴 Trained prosecutors who understand trauma
🔴 Case tracking systems that prevent survivor cases from being abandoned
🔴 Zero tolerance for case withdrawal under family or community pressure

Justice delayed is justice denied.

#JusticeGap #EndSGBV #HerStoryOurStory #NigeriaJustice

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

The moment a survivor walks into a police station is one of the most vulnerable moments of her life.

What happens next can determine whether she ever seeks justice again — or walks away in silence.

Too many women in Nigeria have been met with questions like "What were you wearing?" instead of care, documentation, and a referral to support.

This is not just a failure of procedure. It is a failure of duty.

We are calling on law enforcement agencies across Nigeria to make trauma-informed, survivor-centred response MANDATORY — not optional, not occasional, but standard practice in every station, in every state.
#herstoryourstoryng #SGBV

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

DEMOCRACY MUST BE SAFE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.

A nation cannot call itself democratic when women and girls live in fear.

This Democracy Day, we stand with every survivor.
We demand justice that listens.
Systems that protect.
And leaders who act.
Because freedom means nothing without safety.
And democracy means nothing without dignity.

📞 Need help? Call 0806 429 2526

#DemocracyDay #HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndGBV

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

5/ When response actors work together, survivors are more likely to find the right help at the right time.

#HerStoryOurStoryNG #EndSGBV #SGBVResponse

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

Strong SGBV response requires coordination, clear referral pathways, and services survivors can actually access.

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

4/ Partners also shared updates on SGBV cases and survivor data in the FCT, including ongoing efforts to reactivate the National GBV Dashboard.

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

If you are a victim of sexual and gender-based violence or know someone who is, please know that we are here to help.

You can call or chat us via our hotline - 08064292526 or contact us via any of our social media handles.

#herstoryourstoryng #SGBV

[HerStoryOurStoryNG @HerStoryOSNG]

🇳🇬 Nigeria has more people in need of legal help than it has lawyers to reach them. Paralegals are part of the answer — and now, training them is part of Clifford University's formal mandate.

Last week, The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action & Clifford University signed an MOU to institutionalise Paralegal Studies at the university — under the European Union-funded Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme implemented by International IDEA

This puts community-level legal support inside Nigeria's academic infrastructure. Not a project. A programme. One that outlasts the funding cycle.

Prof. Allwell Omeonu, Dr Uju Agomoh & Mrs Maureen Lance were at the signing.
What does it mean when a university formally owns the work of getting justice closer to people?

#AccessToJustice #Nigeria