Stakeholders from government, civil society, faith-based organisations and the justice sector have endorsed a new framework aimed at strengthening institutional accountability in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
The framework, developed by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership (ACPL), was unveiled during a webinar held to mark International Women’s Day, themed “Beyond the Conversation: Turning Women’s Rights into Measurable Action.”
Tagged the Minimum Viable Gender-Based Violence Response Standard (MVRS), the framework establishes practical benchmarks for institutional responses to GBV cases. It outlines measures to enhance prevention systems, reporting mechanisms, referral coordination, documentation processes and first-response protocols.
The MVRS is designed to guide community-facing institutions—including schools, healthcare facilities, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and public agencies—in developing structured and survivor-centred pathways for handling GBV cases.
According to ACPL, the framework introduces defined entry points for survivors to safely disclose abuse, while ensuring confidentiality and adherence to “do-no-harm” principles. It also provides escalation triggers for high-risk cases and sets out “warm referral” procedures to facilitate secure transfers to medical, legal, psychosocial and protection services.
Executive Director of ACPL, Chidinma Chidoka, stated that the initiative is intended to shift the discourse on women’s rights from advocacy to implementation.
She noted that the MVRS “sets a practical floor—the minimum actions institutions can take to improve consistency, coordination and safety-first responses, even in resource-constrained environments.”
The webinar featured contributions from key stakeholders, including Adijat Motunrayo, Nonyelum Elsie Nwokolo, Sumaye Hamza of Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, Kemi Okenyodo of Partners West Africa Nigeria, and Kabura Zakama.
Discussions centred on clarifying institutional responsibilities, strengthening referral pathways, improving first-response practices and establishing measurable accountability systems that safeguard survivors’ privacy.
ACPL disclosed plans to publish MVRS Version 1.0 alongside a Pathway-to-Safety Resource Sheet and a communiqué from the event. The organisation also indicated it would monitor commitments made by participating institutions over a 60 to 90-day period to ensure sustained progress beyond the commemoration.
The centre reaffirmed its commitment to advancing evidence-based policy solutions and governance innovations aimed at strengthening women’s safety and rights through measurable institutional action.
