Community Response to Gender-Based Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Lagos Metropolis

Gender-based violence is widespread, with debilitating effects on victims that hinder not only their socio-economic potential but also their overall physical and mental well-being. The impact of this issue intensified during the Coronavirus pandemic, resulting in a dual threat for victims, including the inability to seek medical assistance and report such violence to the appropriate authorities. This precarious situation is left to the mercy of community leaders and existing structures to address when it arises. This study examined the incidence rates and types of gender-based violence, vulnerable individuals and groups, victims, community responses, and community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs the Collective Efficacy Theory, which describes the commitment of groups to work collaboratively in achieving shared objectives and maintaining social order. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to select participants for various qualitative data collection methods employed, which included in-depth interviews (IDIs), key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussions (FGDs). Two communities were selected in three local government areas within the Lagos metropolis: Ikeja, Mushin, and Alimosho. The study findings revealed that the incidence rate of GBV was high, most especially for women. Additionally, forms of GBV include rape, abandonment of wives and children, sexual assault or harassment, abuse of women and children, dehumanizing treatment of girls and women, neglectful attitudes towards females, and harmful traditional practices. Furthermore, the study established that cases of gender-based violence are reported in the Lagos metropolis through community agencies such as Community Development Associations, Baales, and Obas, who call families for resolution, as well as religious leaders like chief imams and pastors, among others. However, many cases of gender-based violence remain under-reported. The study concludes that various traditional structures in society, such as religious groups, traditional institutions, youth groups, and Community Development Associations (CDAs), should also be mobilized to raise awareness and enforce punitive laws regarding GBVs in Nigerian society, aiming to reduce its prevalence.