A governance reflection grounded in frontline evidence
Across communities in Northern Nigeria and many parts of Africa, women and girls continue to face violence not because protection systems do not exist — but because they do not function as one. Fragmented responses, weak accountability structures, and underfunded institutions keep survivors trapped in cycles of silence.
From years of working directly with survivors through Clear Her Path, Justice Shield, and community protection structures, Lift Africa has a clear institutional stance:
Ending violence is not a social-sector challenge — it is a governance reform.
Protection requires laws, coordination, financing, accountability, and political will.
Without that, no awareness campaign or community training can deliver lasting change.
This essay distills the core insights behind Lift Africa’s approach to ending violence — from local evidence in Kano to global policy conversations.
1. Violence Thrives in Fragmented Systems
When a survivor is abused, she does not experience the violence in sectors.
But the system responds as if she does.
- Health manages medical care
- Police handle reporting
- Courts take up prosecution
- Social services provide psychosocial support
- Communities influence whether she is believed
- Families influence whether she withdraws
- Cultural norms influence whether the case is pursued
This fragmentation creates predictable failure points:
- delayed medical evidence
- weak prosecution
- inconsistent charges
- case withdrawal under pressure
- confusion on referral pathways
- institutional blame-shifting
- uncoordinated responses
The truth is simple:
Violence persists because systems do not work together.
2. Laws Must Be Unified, Survivor-Centered, and Enforced
From Lift Africa’s advocacy for the Harmonized VAPP Law in Kano, one lesson is clear:
laws are only powerful when they are harmonized and enforced.
Fragmented offences across outdated criminal, penal, or sharia-based laws create:
- inconsistent definitions of violence
- uneven protection for survivors
- limited prosecution pathways
- confusion among police and prosecutors
Unified laws — like the Harmonized VAPP Law — provide:
- clear definitions of SGBV
- standardized penalties
- survivor-centered procedures
- stronger institutional coordination
But laws alone are not enough.
If not implemented, they become symbolic documents rather than tools of justice.
3. Protection Systems Must Be Integrated Across Sectors
Lift Africa advocates for system-wide integration that links:
- health (SARCs, hospitals)
- justice (police, prosecutors, courts)
- community leaders
- schools and youth structures
- shelters and psychosocial support
- development institutions
Through years of case monitoring, we’ve seen that survivors get justice only when:
- medical evidence is collected early
- police file the correct charges
- prosecutors prioritize the case
- courts avoid unnecessary adjournments
- community interference is minimized
This is why we push for state-wide GBV coordination committees with legal backing, guaranteed financing, and clear accountability structures.
4. Harmful Norms Cannot Be Addressed Without Structural Accountability
Many GBV interventions focus on community sensitization — but sensitization without governance support collapses quickly.
In Northern Nigeria, survivors face:
- pressure to “forgive”
- intimidation from perpetrators
- community-based mediation
- economic threats
- religious or cultural reinterpretations
- political interference
Lift Africa’s evidence shows that:
- cases drop when communities have unchecked power
- silencing increases when perpetrators are influential
- survivors are safer when institutional accountability exists
Ending violence requires systems that hold gatekeepers accountable, not just teach them to behave differently.
5. Survivor Services Must Be Adequately Funded
Most states rely on donor grants or ad hoc funding for GBV response.
This creates:
- overstretched SARCs
- lack of forensic tools
- delays in prosecution
- absence of safe shelters
- insufficient psychosocial support
- burnout among frontline responders
Lift Africa advocates for:
- state-funded SGBV budgets
- predictable financing frameworks
- compensation schemes for survivors
- strengthened SARC capacity
- multi-year budgeting for GBV response
Without financing, policies remain aspirational.
6. Early Reporting and Community-Based Protection Systems Are Critical
Many survivors delay reporting because:
- they fear stigma
- they do not know their rights
- they don’t trust institutions
- community leaders advise silence
- families choose informal settlements
Lift Africa strengthens community accountability systems by training:
- youth groups
- mothers’ associations
- teachers
- religious and traditional leaders
- market women
- community gatekeepers
Our evidence shows that violence reduces when communities understand:
- what the law says
- how reporting works
- what services exist
- why early reporting matters
- that informal settlement is not justice
Prevention begins in the community, but protection must be upheld by the state.
7. Accountability Is the Missing Ingredient
From decades of GBV response efforts across the Global South, accountability remains the weakest link.
Lift Africa advocates for:
- transparent case-tracking systems
- penalties for obstructing justice
- performance indicators for justice actors
- reporting mechanisms for institutional misconduct
- community oversight structures
Systems only work when they are answerable to the people they serve.
8. A Governance Framework for Ending Violence
Lift Africa’s institutional position is built on five pillars:
- Unified, survivor-centered legal frameworks
- Integrated, multi-sector protection systems
- Adequate and predictable financing
- Community accountability and early reporting
- Institutional accountability and case-tracking
Ending violence is not about adding more awareness campaigns — it is about fixing the systems that should prevent violence in the first place.
Conclusion: Ending Violence Requires Systems, Not Sentiment
At local, national, and global levels, the message remains the same:
Violence ends when systems change — not when communities are merely sensitized.
Lift Africa’s institutional voice reframes GBV as a governance priority that requires legal reform, financing, coordination, community accountability, and institutional strength.
Ending violence is possible.
But only when protection is not left to goodwill — when it becomes a governance responsibility backed by law, funding, and accountability.