UK Govt Trains Centres, Stakeholders on Tackling Sexual Violence

The UK government has trained 33 sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) and other stakeholders in Nigeria.
The four-day workshops, held between February 28 and March 4, was to support SARCs in providing forensic and medical services to children, young people, women, and men sexually abused, assaulted or raped. SARCs also help police and prosecution responses to sexual violence, abuse, and exploitation.

Thirty-three SARC managers and stakeholders participated in the workshops at state and federal levels, including officials from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, NAPTIP, Ministry of Health, and the police.
The participants also included the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), International Federation of Women Lawyers, Nigeria (FIDA), Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, and the UN Women.

The Consular Section of the British High Commission in Abuja (BHC) and the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos (DBHC) organised the workshops and funded by the FCDO’s Consular Project Fund (CPF) in collaboration with the British Council. The workshops were facilitated by Alison Eaton (a senior retired UK police officer and SGBV expert) and Dr Isabelle Kerr (ex-Centre Manager of Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis in Scotland).

“The level of commitment and passion shown by managers and staff within SARCs is enormous and shows how the grit and determination of those who believe in survivor justice and wellbeing can achieve so much,” said Kerr. “State and government investment in policy and strategic direction for this work is crucial, but we must not forget or ignore the frontline services that are being delivered by small, dedicated teams under sometimes challenging and under-resourced conditions.”

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, stressed the need to provide accessible services to survivors of rape and SGBV in Nigeria.

“Preventing sexual violence is a really important issue for me and for the UK government. The UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has put this at the absolute top of her priorities,” added Laing. “I am mandated to really engage and lean in on this to support efforts to ensure that all women are given a genuine chance to realise their potential and gain the support they need to do so.”