DSVA  Empowers 104 High-Risk Gender-Based Violence Survivors

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In keeping with the Lagos State Government’s commitment to offering a comprehensive response to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has equipped 104 high-risk survivors to start their own businesses.

In her keynote speech at the recent ceremony held in Ikeja, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Titilayo Shitta-Bey, urged the recipients to be vanguards for social impacts while guaranteeing prosperity in their diverse enterprises.

Shitta-Bey stated that training the beneficiaries would further encourage other survivors to speak out and receive the necessary assistance that the agency and its partners could provide in the effort to address incidents of sexual and gender-based violence in the state. She was represented by Adetutu Oshinusi, Director of Citizens Rights, Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

She continued by saying that the empowerment programme  was designed as a method for survivors to start again and to restore their self-esteem while they travel the road to recovery.

In her speech, Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, reaffirmed that the programme  was another admirable effort by the state government, which had taken concrete steps to establish a support system for victims of domestic and sexual violence in the state.

She emphasised that research has shown that financial dependency on an abuser is one of the key reasons why survivors stay in abusive relationships. This makes giving financial support the most convincing option.

According to Vivour-Adeniyi, the initiative, done in collaboration with SME 100 Africa, aims to provide survivors of domestic abuse the tools they need to become financially independent and contribute to the growth of their communities and the country as a whole.

While praising Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his tenacious commitment to guaranteeing survivors access to comprehensive support, the Executive Secretary informed the attendees that the SME 100 Africa will enroll the recipients in a four-week intensive training on how to launch and run a business.

Her words, “The training will focus on the development of micro, small and medium enterprises. It aimed to support business growth development in startups as well as expanding businesses which will avail the beneficiaries the skills to sustain a business and reduce the rate of unemployment in the state and violence in homes”.

“By having survivors go through this training, and thereafter receive financial support for their businesses is one of the ways we at the DSVA are ensuring survivors get the much needed support on their journey to healing”, Vivour-Adeniyi enthused.