IntercontinentalNewsReservoir: MWAN launches nationwide drive to boost health workers’ response to GBV

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

Zainab Muhammad-Idris, National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), has announced the launch of a nationwide health-sector initiative aimed at strengthening the response of health workers to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria.

Muhammad- Idris, disclosed this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Kaduna.

She said the initiative, supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria, was being implemented as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against GBV, with the theme “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.”

Muhammad-Idris said the campaign focuses on enhancing the knowledge, capacity and responsiveness of health workers to identify, manage and support survivors of GBV across the country.

She described GBV as a major public health emergency in Nigeria, noting that women and girls are disproportionately affected.

According to her, in spite of the existence of national legal and policy frameworks such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP, 2015) and the National Guidelines for Health Sector Response to GBV (Federal Ministry of Health, 2019), many health facilities continue to face challenges

These include inadequate knowledge, weak referral systems and insufficient survivor-centred care.

To bridge these gaps, MWAN was conducting a national assessment of GBV knowledge and management practices among Doctors, Nurses, Midwives and allied health professionals in selected health facilities across the six geopolitical zones.

She explained that the findings would be used to strengthen policies, design targeted training programmes and improve referral pathways and survivor-centred services within the health sector.

The MWAN president said the project aligns with the 2025 global theme, “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls,” and expands the association’s ongoing advocacy for safer communities, stronger institutions and improved national accountability for GBV response.

She outlined the key messages of the campaign, stressing that health workers are vital to ending GBV and that informed action saves lives.

She added that every survivor deserves dignity, confidentiality and professional care, and that investing in knowledge is investing in prevention.

Muhammad-Idris called on all health workers across Nigeria to remain vigilant, informed and compassionate in their daily practice.

“As frontline responders, our actions can break cycles of silence, prevent further harm and restore dignity to survivors. Together, we can build a safer, more just Nigeria where women and girls live free from violence,” she said.