SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria (SOSCVN) has urged urgent reforms to strengthen the protection of women and girls living in conflict and disaster-affected communities, warning that millions remain exposed to violence, displacement, and limited access to justice.
The organisation made the call in a statement issued yesterday to commemorate International Women’s Day 2026, themed “Rights. Justice. Action. For All Women and Girls.”
According to SOSCVN, Nigeria currently hosts more than 3.4 million internally displaced persons, largely driven by insurgency in the North-east and banditry in the North-west, with women and children accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the displaced population.
The group noted that women in fragile settings face heightened risks of gender-based violence, including abduction, trafficking, and forced marriage, often used as tactics during conflicts. Humanitarian assessments show at least one in three women in affected zones experiences physical or sexual violence, worsened by the absence of gender-segregated sanitation facilities and limited safe access to water points.
SOSCVN stressed that displacement and humanitarian emergencies disrupt livelihoods, weaken social protection systems, and increase women’s exposure to violence, particularly in flood-prone and conflict-affected communities where women dominate informal economic activities.
Despite these challenges, the organisation acknowledged women’s resilience in crisis response but cautioned against romanticising their struggles, insisting that systemic failures in protection and justice must be addressed.
The group called for stronger enforcement of protection laws, survivor-centred justice systems, and improved access to humanitarian services such as water, sanitation, healthcare, and psychosocial support. It also urged authorities to ensure women’s full participation in emergency response, camp management, and national recovery frameworks.
National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse, emphasised that the stability and resilience of communities affected by conflict and disasters depend on deliberate efforts to protect and empower women and girls.
“The 2026 International Women’s Day presents an opportunity for Nigeria to assess whether it is accelerating reforms or allowing inequalities to persist, particularly for women living in displacement camps and conflict zones,” Erhumwunse said.
By Palma Ileye, Abuja
