18th September, 2024
By Oluwatope Lawanson
Lagos State Government, through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), says it attends to an average of 300 new cases of sexual and domestic violence monthly.
The Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, gave the figure during a symposium tagged: ”Are We Doing Enough? A Consideration of Lagos States Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the Last Decade”.
The event was held on Wednesday in Lagos.
Vivour-Adeniyi said that the figure was a testament to increased faith in the government’s system.
She noted that the state’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team was established in September 2014 and metamorphosed into a full-fledged statutory agency in 2021.
According to her, in the past 10 years, there has been the gradual breaking of the culture of silence on sexual and gender-based violence in Lagos State by the increase in formal and informal reporting of cases.
“As of last year, we provided services to over 6,333 survivors. We now attend to an average of 300 new cases monthly.
“People are more confident in the system. People are becoming more aware of support services they can take advantage of.
“We also have people serving as mandated reporters, good samaritans, whistleblowers, people seeing something and saying something and ensuring that something is done.
“Lagos State Government has declared zero tolerance for all forms of sexual and gender-based violence,” she said.
NAN
