The Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) of the Lagos State has revealed how 1,108 men reported being domestically abused in the last six years in the state.
OsunDaily News gathered that the agency’s Executive Secretary, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, disclosed on Thursday that data compilation from the last six years reveals that 1,108 men have reported to the agency how they are domestically abused.
According to her, the figure excludes the number of male children that are experiencing one form of violence or the other.
Vivour-Adeniyi, at the unveiling of ”The Hidden Crime, Violence Against Men” initiative at Ikeja, Lagos State, said it was necessary to teach people especially men how to break the culture of silence from within the society.
The DSVA scribe said Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is one of the greatest hindrances to achieving gender equality.
She continued saying ”It is, therefore, for these reasons, that the agency deemed it expedient to conceptualise this project – The Hidden Crime, Violence against Men.
”We believe that this will be an opportunity to continue to break the culture of silence, which encourages SGBV to thrive. Indeed, men and boys can be victims of domestic and sexual violence.
”A detailed overview of the data recorded over the past six years, revealed that 1,108 men have reported incidents of domestic violence.
“This, however, does not include male children that have experienced one form of GBV or the other.
”We are also mindful of the research we conducted in 2016 in partnership with the Nigerian Prisons Service as they were referred to then.
“That research revealed that out of the 140 sex convicts, 80.5 per cent of them said they were sexually abused at an early age, some as young as 6 years old and as such were exposed to unhealthy sexual relationships.
”Majority of them did not receive psycho-social support and as such, they began abusing others, thereby revealing the abused-abuser trend.
”It is, therefore, important that the male folk are aware of this; there is no shame in their pain.
“It is also compelling to inform men of the different forms of violence and the support services that the state government has put in place to proactively address these issues.
”We also have a duty to engage men to realise that they play a most crucial role in the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.”
