The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has taken its Campus Activation campaign on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) to the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Otto Ijanikin.
In her address at the event, themed: “Issues surrounding Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on Campus. It’s on Us”, the DSVA Executive Secretary, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said the Agency will continue to take its stand against the SGBV scourge by scaling up its sensitization at various strata of society.
She said Campus Activism was crucial, especially for the students, in order to educate the youngsters that youthful exuberance that may be criminally inclined would not be cordoned off or overlooked by the Law.
According to her, the Agency will leave no stone unturned in replicating the same campaign in other tertiary institutions across the State towards amplifying the SGBV sensitization, reiterating the need for students to shun all practices relating to sexual and gender-based violence on campus.
Vivour-Adeniyi remarked that sex for grades, intimate partner violence and sexual assaults are regular negative occurrences in tertiary institutions, particularly in Africa, and that students and staff of institutions should leverage the DSVA platforms to report both perceived and actual cases of abuse.
The School’s SGBV response Coordinator, Dr. Christie Elegbede commended the initiative by the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency to sensitize students and staff of the institution on matters geared towards eradicating or reducing the high number of SGBV cases on campuses.
Tumininu Oni, Head of Case Management, DSVA, urged the students to use the toll-free line – 0 8000 333 333 to report SGBV cases, including sexual harassment on campuses.
On his part, the Dean, Students Affairs, LASUED, Dr. R. Dawodu appreciated the State Government for the initiative and reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to ensuring safety for all.
Different topics such as ‘Understanding and Demystifying Sexual and Gender-Based Violence’, ‘Identification of SGBV Traits on Campus’, ‘Morals’, ‘Etiquettes’ and ‘Respect for One Another’ as ways to curtail any form of violence in the campus community as well as the need to build support Systems for Survivors of SGBV on campus, were discussed by the facilitators which included Mrs. Tumi Oni, Mr. Tobi Ikudayisi and Dr. Christie Elegbede.
