Government of Nigeria and the Spotlight Initiative launch IDeyWithHer Campaign to eliminate violence against women and girls

ABUJA, Nigeria - As part of its continued efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls in Nigeria, the Spotlight Initiative has worked closely with the Ministry of women affairs to launch the IDeyWithHer campaign. The Honorable Minister Dame Pauline Tallen launched the campaign in Abuja on 24th November 2020.

The Event was held jointly with the press briefing and officially opening of the 16 Days of Activism and International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls attended by the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen; The United Nations Nigeria Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Edward Kallon; The EU Ambassador, Karl Karlsen, The UN Women Resident Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Comfort Lamptey.

The Resident Representative to UN Women and ECOWAS Ms. Comfort Lamptey introduced the campaign: “Our goal for the IDeyWithHer campaign is to create awareness of the impact of violence to the women and girls themselves, their families, communities and the nation. We will build on momentum and help draw increased attention to the scale of the problem of violence against women and girls in Nigeria and show that ending violence against women and girls (VAWG) is everybody’s business. We all have a role to play in creating a society where Nigerian women and girls can grow up free from violence and exploitation.”

The campaign builds on advocacy material developed by the UN in Nigeria on GBV during the COVID crisis to address the upsurge in gender-based violence, as well as on the state of emergency declared by state governments and stakeholders in response to the crisis of violence against women and girls.

“We must respond with adequate funds to address the GBV crisis, amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the UN Resident Coordinator Edward Kallon during the event.

The IDeyWithHer campaign is tailored after the global Spotlight Initiative #WithHer campaign designed to raise awareness of, and challenge, harmful gender norms and stereotypes that perpetuate violence against women. It is a digital engagement and awareness-raising campaign. Our vision is a Nigeria where all women and girls are free from violence and exploitation. As such, the #IDeyWithHer will raise awareness of the ‘shadow pandemic’ ravaging Nigeria and demand urgent collective action from government and key stakeholders towards addressing this. It will also challenge harmful gender norms and stereotypes that perpetuate violence against women and girls.

The Spotlight Initiative Nigeria is responding to all forms of violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, early child marriage, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation.

The Initiative is implemented in six states including Adamawa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Lagos, Sokoto and the FCT in Nigeria.

For inquiries, please contact:
Judith Owoicho, Spotlight Initiative Communication Analyst
E-mail judith.owoicho@one.un.org