As part of efforts to ensure holistic support for survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence, and in commemoration of the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Invictus Africa formally releases The Survivor’s Guide.
The Guide which is a practical guide for survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence is developed as part of Invictus Africa’s ongoing Prevention, Accountability, Support (PAS) Project supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) aimed at preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) through capacity development, demanding accountability from duty bearers using empirical evidence, and providing support to survivors through access to relevant resources.
The Executive Director, Invictus Africa, Bukky Shonibare, Delivering a speech in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch, said that Survivor’s Guide is a no-fluff, realistic, hands-on guide created to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as they navigate the period after sexual violence, whether in the decisions they must make immediately or the actions they may take years after.
“Through this guide, survivors will know: the relevant terms, the myths and lies around SGBV, what to do and not do if raped or sexually abused, how and where to get help, and their rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), the Violence Against Persons Prohibitions (VAPP) Act (2015), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), and other extant laws.”
“The Survivor’s Guide accompanies the Orange Pages, which Invictus Africa launched in July, containing contact details of over 200 SGBV responders and service providers across all States in Nigeria. Through these resources – Orange Pages, The Survivor’s Guide, and others that we have developed and will develop – we want to make sure that SGBV survivors are never left stranded by ensuring they have access to simple, friendly, and easy-to-use tools that can provide them with the relevant information they may need at any time,” she said
Shonibare added that with the Survivor’s Guide, “we hope that survivors feel supported, and that the people who are in their lives also are provided with the language to truly support them and not further, knowingly or unknowingly, contribute to their trauma.
“Invictus Africa promotes human rights and addresses inequalities affecting vulnerable and disadvantaged people (especially women and girls) through evidence-based advocacies, legal reviews, and capacity development.”
