Victoria Sule

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng I would involve survivors, youth leaders, traditional/religious leaders, police, teachers, and men’s groups to ensure collective ownership and sustainability. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng If I could design initiative to fight sexual violence, it would be a Community Safe Spaces Network centers in every ward offering confidential reporting, psychosocial support, legal aid, and awareness programs. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng When men and boys become allies, the cycle of silence is broken and communities shift from tolerance of violence to zero tolerance. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng Educate peers Mentor younger boys on consent, respect, and equality.
Join community action: Work with women’s groups, religious leaders, and local initiatives to build safer communities.#XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng Model respect Practice healthy masculinity at home, school, work, and in relationships.
Support survivors Believe them, stand with them, and ensure they feel safe instead of judged.
Educate peers Mentor younger boys on consent, respect, and equality.

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng Major roles men and boys can play in preventing sexual violence & supporting survivors:
Challenge harmful norms Refuse to normalize rape jokes, victim-blaming, or treating women as “less.”
#XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Why This Matters
Justice Denied: Survivors in these states lack access to protections that are meant to be universal across Nigeria.
Worsened Impunity: Without domestication, perpetrators face little deterrence, encouraging repeat offenses.#XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng Increased Risk for Women and Girls
States that haven’t domesticated VAPP leave survivors especially vulnerable to violence and exploitation without statutory remedies. For example, petitions like the one from Kwara highlight how perpetrators evade arrest due to legal gaps

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng @womenfundng Cultural and Religious Resistance
In several northern regions, religious and customary norms continue to supersede state legislation. Issues like early marriage or marital rape may be downplayed or addressed through traditional, non legal channels #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Inconsistent and Ineffective Enforcement
Even among states that have domesticated VAPP, many lack funding, institutional structures, and public awareness to enforce. its provisions for example, low uptake of protection orders or sex offender registers

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Why Non-Domestication Is a Serious Challenge:
No Legal Framework for Protection
Without VAPP, survivors in these states rely on outdated or incomplete laws like the Penal Code, which often fail to criminalize marital rape, harmful practices, #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Osun, Plateau, Rivers
Kano and Katsina remain particularly notable, as they are reported in some sources to still have not domesticated the Act at all #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng States that have not passed the VAPP Act at all (as of 2025): Borno, Cross River, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara
Some states have passed the bill but are still awaiting the governor’s assent: Adamawa, Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi, #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng According to recent monitoring, States Yet to Domesticate the VAPP Act are: #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng In each case, sexual violence doesn’t just harm individuals it robs Nigeria of women’s full participation in shaping education, leadership, and the economy. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Workplace:
A qualified graduate applies for a job but is told by the recruiter that she must “cooperate” to be hired. She refuses and loses the opportunity, while less qualified men get the job. Others in her situation quit silently, reinforcing the cycle. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Politics:
A young woman campaigning for local councilor faces constant sexist insults at rallies, and online threats of sexual violence. Intimidated, she withdraws, leaving male counterparts uncontested. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Education:
A 15 years old girl in a rural school is harassed by her teacher, who threatens to fail her unless she gives in to his demands. Out of fear and shame, she drops out, ending her dream of becoming a nurse. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng ways to address them are: Build confidential reporting systems, train police & courts, expand psychosocial services, ensure survivor protection, and challenge harmful cultural norms. #XChatOnGBV

[Victoria Sule @vmamedu]

@wipfng Weak legal systems: Court cases drag on for years with no justice.
Limited survivor services: In rural areas, survivors may have no safe shelter or counseling access. #XChatOnGBV