The 2023 Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Month of the Lagos State Government begins on Friday, Sept. 1.

The awareness month is to sensitize and educate Lagos residents on the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence and break the culture of silence of victims, especially men.

Speaking at a news conference at Alausa, Ikeja to herald the awareness month, the Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, stated that there was an increase in reported cases of violence against men from September 2022 to July 2023 to the tune of three hundred and forty cases.

While reeling out some of the achievements of the Agency for the year under review, Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi listed five local governments with the highest cases of domestic and sexual violence, including Alimosho, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Eti Osa and Oshodi, as the state recorded over five thousand cases.

While decrying the increasing suicide attempts by survivors of domestic violence, the Executive Secretary advised victims to always seek help from the Agency’s mental health desk rather than killing themselves as six victims died in the year under review, and a minute silence was observed in their honour.

“A total of 1,598 children have experienced emotional abuse (i.e these children have been exposed to Domestic Violence within the home). 40% of these children have been taken through counselling programs to ensure they are able to psychologically deal with the events they have witnessed without it having a permanent and negative impact on them.

“We have also witnessed an increase in reporting of cases from other States; mostly from the South West and South East regions. In the past 11 Months, a total of 248 cases were reported outside Lagos. Such cases are promptly referred to the relevant agencies in their respective States.

“The Office of the Public Defender as well as the Lagos Public Interest Law Partnership (LPILP) have provided free legal representation to 79 survivors of Domestic Violence; Judicial Separation, Divorce, Maintenance, Custody of children and Settlement.

All the survivors of Sexual Assault received medical attention from Comprehensive Primary Health Care Centres, General Hospitals and Sexual Assault Referral Centres including Mirabel Centre, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) as well as Idera Centre,” Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi said.

Mrs Vivour-Adeniyi, who emphasized that the Agency would carry out aggressive sensitization during the awareness month, especially in the prevalent council areas, to reduce the menace among other activities for the month, urged the media and the Police to work in synergy with the Agency to achieve its set goals.

“DSVA has partnered with the Local Government for the purpose of establishing sub-offices to receive cases of sexual and gender-based violence. We have now secured 3 sub offices in Kosofe, Ikorodu and Lagos Mainland LGA.

“During the year under review, the agency has reached over 10 LGAs and LCDAs; including Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Alimosho, Ojo, etc.

“In the period under review, a total of 147 high risk survivors have accessed grants through the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Trust Fund, for the purpose of securing accommodation, startup capital for business, or scale up of existing business ventures, medical and education,” she said.

The theme of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Awareness Month is “SGBV: Not in my Lagos,” with a toll-free line of 08000-333-333 to report any case of domestic and sexual violence.