The Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has launched a nationwide initiative to strengthen the capacity of health workers in responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) across the country.
MWAN National President, Dr. Zainab Muhammad-Idris, announced the initiative in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna.
She said the programme—supported by the French Embassy in Nigeria—is being implemented as part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, themed “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Muhammad-Idris said the initiative aims to enhance the knowledge, responsiveness and professional capacity of doctors, nurses, midwives and other health workers to identify, manage and support survivors of GBV nationwide.
She described GBV as a major public health emergency in Nigeria, disproportionately affecting women and girls, despite the existence of national laws and guidelines such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2015 and the National Guidelines for Health Sector Response to GBV (2019).
However, she noted that many health facilities still struggle with inadequate knowledge, weak referral systems and limited survivor-centred care.
To address these gaps, MWAN is conducting a nationwide assessment of GBV knowledge and management practices among healthcare professionals in selected facilities across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The findings, she said, will inform policy improvements, targeted training programmes, strengthened referral systems and better survivor-centred services.
Muhammad-Idris said the initiative aligns with the 2025 global theme, reinforcing MWAN’s advocacy for safer communities, stronger institutions and greater national accountability for GBV response.
She emphasised the campaign’s key message: health workers play a critical role in ending GBV, and “informed action saves lives.” She added that every survivor deserves dignity, confidentiality and professional care, stressing that investing in the knowledge of health workers is an investment in prevention.
She urged health workers across the country to remain vigilant, informed and compassionate in their daily duties.
“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.