NGO launches manual to support sexual violence survivors

Invictus Africa, a non-governmental organisation, has released ‘The Survivor’s Guide’, a manual to help survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The guide was launched on Wednesday in commemoration of the ongoing 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Speaking at the event, Bukky Shonibare, Invictus Africa’s executive director, said the guide is developed as part of the organisation’s ongoing Prevention, Accountability, Support (PAS) project supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA).

She said the PAS project is 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 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,” she said.

“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.”