As Nigeria joins other countries to celebrate this year’s “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV),” Actionaid Nigeria has said that one in four girls in Nigeria faces sexual violence.

Actionaid Nigeria Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said it was based on this fact that it has always called on stakeholders to pay more attention to issues that affect women and the girl child. Mamedu in a statement said:

“Alarmingly, 1 in 4 girls in Nigeria faces sexual violence before the age of 18, with conflict-ridden areas like the North-East witnessing a 30 per cent rise in reported cases due to displacement and exploitation.

“Beyond the home, GBV is infiltrating workplaces, with women facing harassment and discrimination that undermine their safety, dignity and economic empowerment.

The agricultural sector, dominated by women, is particularly affected, with many women farmers subjected to dispossession and violence, threatening their livelihoods.”