The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has unveiled an emergency intervention helpline for victims and witnesses of gender-based violence (GBV), as it mobilised residents across its 12 wards to break the culture of silence surrounding abuse of women and girls.
The initiative is designed to provide victims with a confidential channel to report cases, request urgent intervention and gain access to appropriate security, legal, healthcare and other support services.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, the Special Adviser on Women Affairs to the AMAC Chairman, Loveth Izekor, said the initiative was intended to move the council’s campaign beyond awareness-raising to practical intervention and protection of women and girls.
Izekor, who spoke on the theme, “Unite to Protect: Empowering AMAC Women Through Knowledge and Action,” said protecting women and girls should not be left to government alone, urging traditional rulers, religious leaders, community coordinators and residents to play active roles in preventing and reporting abuse.
She said the emergency intervention helpline would provide a confidential channel through which residents could report cases, request urgent intervention and obtain referrals to relevant services.
Izekor urged residents to save and share the official emergency contact within their communities, stressing that victims and persons who witness abuse should not remain silent.
“If you see abuse, do not look away. If you know someone in danger, do not remain silent. If a woman or child needs help, help them find help,” she said.
According to her, the campaign would take information on different forms of abuse, women’s rights, available protection mechanisms and safe channels for seeking assistance to markets, communities and households across the council’s 12 wards.
“Protecting women and girls is not the responsibility of government alone. It is the responsibility of all of us,” she said.
Izekor said the intervention framework brings together the Nigeria Police Force Gender Desk, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), alongside healthcare providers and other relevant partners.
She said the collaboration was aimed at strengthening prevention, emergency intervention, legal assistance, healthcare, counselling and survivor support for victims of abuse.
The Special Adviser also urged traditional rulers and royal queens to help break the culture of silence in their communities, while calling on religious leaders to promote dignity, compassion and protection for women and girls.
She charged ward and community coordinators to take the campaign to residents at the grassroots and ensure that information on available support services reaches those who need it.
Izekor said the initiative built on the AMAC Women 5 Voice unveiled by the council Chairman and Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), FCT, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, during the launch of the LADDER Initiative on September 16.
Reaffirming the council’s commitment to protecting women and girls, she urged victims and survivors to seek help rather than suffer in silence.
“You are valuable. Your dignity matters. Your safety matters. You are not alone. Do not suffer in silence. Break the silence. Call for help. Unite to protect,” she said.