SGBV: FCTA inaugurates Technical Working Group for sexual assault centre

By Philip Yatai

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) for its Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), located at Bwari General Hospital, Abuja.

The TWG was inaugurated by the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, in conjunction with the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mrs Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary, FCT Women Affair Secretariat, said that the TWG would facilitate the development of a policy that would guide the operation of the centre.

According to Benjamins-Laniyi, the move was part of efforts to provide the centre with the needed facilities, structures, architecture and manpower in line with the global minimum acceptable standard.

She added that the TWG, to be headed by Mrs Beatrice Pwajok, Director of Gender, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, would equally ensure the operationalisation of the centre’s community awareness and prevention programmes.

“The goal is to ensure the full implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, domesticated about 10 years ago in the FCT.

“We want to ensure that Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) survivors in the FCT do not only access quality health services, psychosocial counselling and trauma care, but also access justice,” she said.

Also, Dr Baba-Gana Adam, Permanent Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, added that the TWG would also develop a protocol for the centre’s hotline – 09134668737.

This, according to him, will ensure easy access to the centre by SGBV survivors in need of emergency support and information.

On his part, the acting Director, Hospital Management Board, FCTA, Dr Bello Olugbenga, stressed the need to establish at least one SARC in each of the six area councils to increase access to services.

Olugbenga also stressed the need to view sexual assault and gender violence as a crime and not a family issue.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Awyetu Sexual Assault Referral Centre was established in 2020 by the British Council on behalf of the European Union, under its Rule of Law and Anticorruption (ROLAC) Programme.

The centre was established to provide comprehensive medical, psychological, and legal support to survivors of sexual violence, with a special focus on children and vulnerable populations. (NAN)