As the world observes the annual “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” (GBV), alarming reports highlight a global increase in such violence, with Nigeria being no exception. There are an estimated 746 million female survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) worldwide, and 10 percent cent of these, approximately 20 million, are from Nigeria. Within the country, 10.3 million girls under the age of 15 are subjected to forced marriages, while 30 per cent of Nigerian women and girls aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives.
In Nigeria, the responsibility of supporting SGBV survivors largely falls on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and NGOs, which face significant challenges in providing survivors with adequate resources for their basic needs, education, health, and economic empowerment.
Addressing The Challenge: Limited Support For Survivors
Despite the existence of 47 Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARC) across 22 states, these facilities are vastly inadequate when compared to the 20 million survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria. The scale of the issue highlights the urgent need for greater awareness of what SGBV is, as this is key to fostering community engagement and providing essential support to survivors.
A Path Forward: Raising Awareness And Promoting Healing
To address this, the ‘Beyond The Silence’ (BTS) event, organised by Ekondo—a sustainable living and wellness organisation—and Hearts Heartist, an artistic hub focused on transformative community experiences, aims to increase awareness about SGBV while promoting healing and community solidarity.
The event, supported by the Embassy of France in Nigeria, uses a combination of nature-based and artistic practices to highlight ways of identifying SGBV, accessing help, and reinforcing accountability within systems meant to address it.
Through activities such as planting, painting, poetry, and dance performances, BTS participants are educated on key actions like identifying SGBV, knowing where to seek support, and understanding the importance of systemic accountability in tackling the issue.
Founder of Ekondo, Effiong Nyeh, described nature as one of the world’s most powerful yet overlooked healers. “Tending to a plant fosters empathy and a sense of care for others. The goal is to inspire more love and compassion among people. We’ve seen nature bring a sense of calm and healing to many,” Nyeh explains.
During the event, over fifty participants were given free pre-sketched potted plants featuring messages, action points, and the event’s abbreviation, ‘BTS’. These plants are designed to spark conversations and raise awareness, whether kept at home or in workplaces. The initiative encourages community engagement not just within Ekondo’s nature-loving network or Hearts Heartist’s artistic community, but across various Abuja communities where the participants come from. By connecting different local groups, BTS aims to create a broader, collective responsibility to combat violence in all forms
If we have 30 participants who leave with plants, and each one educates ten others, that’s 300 people informed about GBV,” said one of the event organiers. This approach emphasises the power of grassroots action and community education, demonstrating that small individual efforts can result in significant collective impact.
On the other hand, arts—through mediums like drawing, painting, poetry, and dance—offer a psychosomatic pathway for individuals, including SGBV survivors, to process their pain and emotions cathartically. Art provides not only a personal outlet for healing but also innovative ways to spread awareness about the dangers of SGBV.
The event included two powerful poetry performances by poet Rahama Yalwa and members of Hearts Heartist, along with a contemporary dance piece, all of which vividly depicted various aspects of GBV. These performances addressed emotional, economic, and physical abuse, while also highlighting the fear of societal stigma that often forces victims to suffer in silence.
“Watching these stories unfold shows that healing is not only possible but achievable through courage and self-expression,” said David Olukitibi of Hearts Heartist. “The mural painting was both a creative expression and a public statement. It brought survivors and advocates together to co-create a visual narrative, sparking conversations about collective actions for transformation.”
Insights From Beyond The Silence
While the value and impact of art can be difficult to quantify, the emotional reactions of audience members—some moved to tears by the performances—underscore its profound cathartic effect. In addition to the emotional performances, other activities encouraged participants to take action and reflect on their role in ending GBV.
“Two moments stood out to me. The first was a panel discussion in which a panelist shared how a family facilitated the rape of their daughter through an outdated cultural practice. The other impactful moment came when a panelist said, ‘Love does not hurt.’ I was also deeply moved by the poetry performance, which nearly brought me to tears. It inspired me to take action by not dismissing real victims of SGBV, even though some may falsely claim victimhood for other reasons,” said Olukitibi Joseph.
Teacher and poet Yalwa noted, “The events were thoughtfully structured. The performances stirred deep emotions, and the story incorporated in the dance was something that stayed with me. It’s an experience I’ll continue to reflect on and act upon, although I’m not yet sure what that action will look like.”
“I was so moved by the poetry performance that I nearly cried,” said Mercy. “It inspired me to spread the word so that SGBV victims feel empowered to speak out.”
For Amara Creative, the intersection of arts, wellness, and GBV advocacy was both impactful and essential. “The event reinforced the need for more people to speak up against GBV, which is happening all around us, and to create safe spaces for victims. My action will be to raise my voice for SGBV until we see real policy changes and reforms that address this issue year-round, not just during the annual 16 days of activism.”
Limitations Of Arts, Wellness In Addressing SGBV
Although arts and wellness practices offer therapeutic channels through which GBV survivors ‘recover, and reconnect with their lost selves towards stepping into a future defined in their own terms’, it is merely a first step, in the holistic approach to addressing the phenomenon.
Indeed, both communities recognize the limitation of their practices, and view what they do as complementary to the broader SGBV intervention – which include psychological, medical and economic empowerment of survivors.
“If there is an organisation or individual working in the SGBV field, we would want to be a part of it, and incorporate our creative aspect. Certainly, creative and artistic solutions are not the most important solution, but we think that oftentimes they are ignored. So, it is a solution to explore,” said Nyeh.
Conclusion
Reiterating the efficacy of the arts in innovating creative ways to diffuse core messages regarding SGBV, French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Marc Fonbaustier, stressed that the greater responsibility of caring for SGBV survivors lies with the Nigerian government, at all levels.
“A good approach would be to reinforce civil societies and NGOs. It is through CSOs and NGOs that the Embassy intends to take the second step (post this event), because this is a first step as you rightly said.
“But I repeat that the main responsibility lies with the Nigerian public authorities. An embassy cannot substitute the main players. GBV is as huge a phenomenon as COVID 19. The authorities have to address the challenge at a broader scale. It is the dualist approach – of both psychological and material support of survivors, that we must push forward in Nigeria,” concluded Fonbaustier.
Limitations Of Arts, Wellness In Addressing SGBV
While arts and wellness practices provide therapeutic avenues for GBV survivors to heal, reconnect with themselves, and envision a future on their own terms, these approaches are just the first step in a more comprehensive solution to the issue. Both communities involved in the event acknowledge the limitations of their methods, recognising that their work is complementary to a broader range of SGBV interventions, which include psychological, medical, and economic support for survivors.
“As an organisation, if there’s any group or individual working on SGBV issues, we want to collaborate and integrate our creative approach. Creative and artistic solutions aren’t the most crucial solution, but they are often overlooked. They are a valuable addition worth exploring,” said Ekondo founder, Effiong Nyeh.
Conclusion
French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Marc Fonbaustier, reiterated the important role that arts can play in raising awareness and delivering core messages about SGBV. However, he emphasized that the primary responsibility for caring for survivors lies with the Nigerian government at all levels.
“ As I’ve said, the main responsibility rests with Nigerian public authorities. An embassy cannot replace the primary players. GBV is as significant a phenomenon as COVID-19. The authorities must address this issue on a national scale. We need a dual approach—both psychological and material support for survivors—and this is what we must push forward in Nigeria,” concluded Ambassador Fonbaustier.
