In a startling revelation, the Lagos State Government has reported a significant increase in cases of women engaging in domestic violence against their husbands, with a staggering 340 cases documented over the past year.
Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), disclosed this alarming trend. According to her, the incidence of domestic violence reports filed by men has risen significantly over the past year.
Between September 2022 and July 2023, 340 men came forward to report incidents of domestic violence perpetrated against them by their wives, a number more than double the 140 cases reported in the preceding year, from September 2021 to July 2022.
Vivour-Adeniyi noted that this increase suggests a gradual shift away from the culture of silence among men regarding issues of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
Further analysis of the data revealed that the majority of domestic violence incidents occurred in the evening, while sexual violence cases were more prevalent in the afternoon.
An astonishing 86.3% of all reported cases involved female victims, emphasizing that women remain at a higher risk of experiencing sexual and gender-based violence. Additionally, 30% of the female victims disclosed that they were pregnant during the abuse.
The Executive Secretary also highlighted a trend in this year’s reported cases, indicating a sharp increase in the reporting of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) between September 2022 and July 2023. She attributed this rise to increased awareness campaigns during that period. However, a notable decline was observed in February 2023, possibly due to the traditional expression of love during Valentine’s Day.
These alarming statistics shed light on the need for continued efforts to combat domestic and gender-based violence, as well as the importance of encouraging victims to come forward and break the cycle of silence.
