The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has called for continuous review and strengthening of gender-responsive legislation to effectively prevent gender-based violence (GBV) in the country.

The country vice president of FIDA Nigeria, Eliana Martins, made the call on Monday at the second annual multi-stakeholder dialogue on the review and implementation of gender-responsive legislation preventing GBV.

Ms Martins said the dialogue, organised with state actors from the Lagos State Ministry of Justice and its agencies, aimed to explore the ministry’s mandate for law reforms to prevent gender-based violence in the state.

She explained that the dialogue, themed “Promoting a Safer Environment for Women and Girls Using the Instrumentality of Gender-Responsive Legislation and Policies,” was deliberately targeted at legal reforms.

Ms Martins said effective GBV prevention required the enforcement of existing laws, as well as the continuous review, harmonisation and strengthening of legal frameworks to reflect lived realities, survivor-centred approaches and prevention-oriented justice.

She recalled that during the 2025 event, FIDA examined the impact of social norms, cultural practices, and religious beliefs on the enforcement of such laws at the state level.

Ms Martins noted that while implementation of state legislation remained critical, the effectiveness of GBV prevention efforts was largely shaped by the quality, relevance and coherence of legal frameworks.

She observed that laws addressing GBV, sexual violence, harmful practices, and women’s protection often contained gaps or ambiguities that weakened enforcement.

According to her, some laws do not sufficiently address prevention, survivor protection, or institutional coordination, while others are not fully harmonised with national legislation or international human rights standards.

She said the dialogue was designed to examine ongoing state law review processes, integrate lessons from earlier implementation assessments, and promote survivor-centred and gender-responsive legal reforms.

Ms Martins expressed appreciation to the Ford Foundation for supporting the programme and wished participants fruitful deliberations.

One of the facilitators at the dialogue, Ihuoma Ilobinso, identified gaps in legislation, weak enforcement and cultural biases as major challenges in tackling GBV in Nigeria.

Ms Ilobinso, a lecturer in commercial and industrial law at the University of Lagos, stressed the need to strengthen laws and institutions to better protect women and girls.

She said, “Although Nigeria has laws addressing gender-based violence, significant gaps still exist, and many of the laws are poorly enforced.”

Ms Ilobinso stated that inadequate funding and a lack of institutional support often made it difficult for relevant agencies to enforce the laws and address cases of violence.

She added that cultural norms and stereotypes placing women in subordinate positions continued to fuel GBV and hinder the effective implementation of protective laws.

She called for stronger collaboration between government institutions and civil society organisations to tackle the problem.

A senior programme manager at FIDA Nigeria, Fikih Obaro, called for stronger policies and collaborative action to address GBV and protect citizens’ rights.

Mr Obaro observed that, despite Lagos State’s progressive legislation and policies to protect citizens, social and cultural factors continue to fuel the persistence of GBV.

He said, “There is also a need for collective efforts involving communities, government institutions, and other stakeholders to tackle the problem.

“Citizens’ education plays a critical role in addressing gender-based violations because people need to know their rights, understand reporting protocols, and be aware of available remedies.”

The vice-chairperson of FIDA Ikeja, Clara Mbachu, called for a review of outdated laws to effectively address GBV and cyberbullying.

Ms Mbachu said many existing laws were enacted decades ago and no longer reflected current realities, stressing the need for reform to align with current developments.

She noted that although agencies responsible for enforcing laws on violence against women were active, cultural and societal pressures often discouraged victims from pursuing cases.

Ms Mbachu added that improved technology and stronger enforcement were needed to track and punish perpetrators of cyberbullying.

(NAN)