WRAHP holds legal clinic for SGBV survivors, others in Edo

The Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) on Tuesday held a one-day Community Legal Clinic for residents of Ovia North-East Local Government Area in Edo State.

The programme, aimed at creating awareness for survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and others in the locality about the legal opportunities available to them for redress, is supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC II) and International IDEA.

In her goodwill message, the Executive Director of WRAHP, Bose Ironsi, described the initiative as a critical step in addressing the persistent issues of SGBV within communities across the country.

Ironsi noted that, with a focus on empowering communities and survivors, the clinic also seeks to bridge the gap in legal services, ensuring access to justice for underprivileged and marginalised groups, particularly women and girls.

“This initiative is a critical step in addressing the persistent issues of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) within our communities.

“With a focus on empowering communities and survivors, the clinic seeks to bridge the gap in legal services, ensuring access to justice for underprivileged and marginalised groups, particularly women and girls,” she said.

She maintained that SGBV remains a pervasive challenge in Nigeria, with survivors often struggling to understand and navigate complex legal systems while also facing societal stigma.

According to Ironsi, the Community Legal Clinic in Ovia North-East LGA aims to offer a platform for participants to access professional, confidential, and compassionate legal advice.

“Beyond providing legal advice, the clinic will serve as an educational platform, empowering participants with knowledge about their rights under key legal frameworks, including the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP).

“The clinic offers comprehensive services to ensure survivors receive holistic support. Participants will have access to counselling services on human rights, SGBV laws, and practical safety planning.

“Through knowledge-sharing sessions, survivors and community members will gain invaluable insights into their legal rights and the resources available to them, fostering greater awareness and resilience within the community.

“This initiative extends its reach beyond individual survivors by engaging the broader community.

“By working closely with key stakeholders, including artisans, market traders, and religious leaders, the clinic promotes a collaborative approach to addressing SGBV.

“This inclusive engagement seeks to build a network of informed and supportive community structures that actively contribute to the prevention of abuse and the protection of survivors,” Ironsi explained.

Ironsi further remarked that the fight against SGBV requires the collective effort of all stakeholders.

“The media, civil society organisations, and community members are invited to partner with us in this initiative to amplify the voices of survivors and create a culture of accountability and justice,” she said.

Addressing survivors and other participants, the Coordinator of Edo State Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC), Dr Faith Edobo, revealed that the state government has concluded plans to establish SARCs across Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial Districts, four years after the first centre—commonly known as the Vivian Ogu Centre—was set up in Benin City.

Dr Edobo noted that the measure aims to ensure access to justice for underprivileged and marginalised groups, particularly women and girls, in response to the growing demand for legal aid services through the State’s SGBV Response Team (SGBV-RT).

While highlighting the support systems provided by SARCs—which include cases of child deprivation/access denial, forced abandonment or neglect, forceful abduction of children, widowhood deprivation, and harmful widowhood practices—Edobo encouraged vulnerable individuals experiencing any form of abuse to speak up.

Chairman of the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme and Pro Bono Services in Edo State, Barrister Henry Amaechi Nwazor, emphasised that access to legal services remains the gateway to justice for the underprivileged and marginalised in Nigeria.

He lamented the shortage of legal aid and pro bono lawyers in the country, as well as the slow pace in the dispensation of justice in SGBV cases.

Mrs Aghedo Antonia, a counsellor from SARC, urged victims of abuse to take advantage of counselling services, particularly in times of distress, for timely and necessary intervention.

Earlier, Juliet Akpojevba, Edo State Programme Officer for WRAHP, who gave an overview of the programme, stated that the Women’s Rights and Health Project is an innovative, registered not-for-profit organisation.

She disclosed that WRAHP, managers of the Ireti Resource Centre, is charged with the core mission of promoting women’s and community health by equipping, mobilising, and actively engaging members of the community as agents of social change through information sharing, capacity building, and advocacy.

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