The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has entered into a strategic partnership with insurance firm AXA Mansard to raise awareness and intensify education on the growing scourge of domestic and sexual violence, with a focus on protecting the girl child.
EpeInsights reports that the collaboration was announced in a statement released by the Head of Marketing at AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, Olusesan Ogunyooye.
It forms part of the insurance company’s global corporate social responsibility initiative, AXA Week for Good.
According to Ogunyooye, addressing gender-based violence demands a collective effort that includes individuals, communities, institutions, and government stakeholders, drawing on global best practices.
“Our stance at AXA Mansard is that the future should not be at risk. To protect the future, we must protect our children,” he said.
“Partnering with the DSVA during AXA Week for Good is our way of contributing to the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, especially as it affects girls in Lagos.”
The 2014 National Survey on Violence Against Children in Nigeria paints a grim picture: one in four girls experiences sexual violence before age 18, and 15 per cent of those who are physically forced or coerced into sex become pregnant.
Ogunyooye described the figures as alarming, especially since most of the abuse occurs in environments presumed to be safe homes and schools.
He warned that continued exposure to such violence risks normalising abuse under cultural pretenses.
This year’s AXA Week for Good is themed “Being a Girl Shouldn’t Be a Risk,” a campaign aimed at drawing attention to the daily dangers faced by girls due to domestic and sexual violence.
Speaking on the collaboration, Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, welcomed the partnership as a significant move in advancing the Lagos State Government’s zero-tolerance policy on gender-based violence.
“Private sector involvement is critical to amplifying our voice and deepening the impact of our work. We’re pleased to have AXA Mansard as a committed partner in this cause,” she said.
Vivour-Adeniyi affirmed DSVA’s readiness to provide expert support and resources to ensure the initiatives under AXA’s campaign deliver tangible results and help build a safer society for children, especially girls.
The partnership underscores the growing recognition that safeguarding children from abuse requires not just government intervention, but active participation from corporate and civil society actors.
