Prevalence of Gender Based Violence in Nigeria: The Way Out

Globally, gender-based violence (GBV) is a persistent problem, and women and girls remain particularly vulnerable to its various forms. Gender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health and human rights problem worldwide. Gender-based violence (GBV) is an umbrella term for harmful acts of abuse perpetrated against a person’s will and rooted in a system of unequal power between women and men. This is true for both conflict-affected and non-conflict settings. Harm caused by GBV comes in a variety of visible and invisible forms, it also includes the threat of violence: physical violence, such as assault or slavery; emotional or psychological violence, such as verbal abuse or confinement; sexual abuse, including rape; harmful practices, like child marriage and female genital mutilation; socio-economic violence, which includes denial of resources; and sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse. This paper discusses types of gender-based violence, forms, causes, effects as well as remedies to the menace. The researchers relied on context analysis and used secondary data such as published and unpublished materials like text books, journals, newspapers and internet materials to gather and analyse the required data. Based on the findings, the writers recommended among others that; preventing violence against women and girls, it is important to ignite awareness, drive policy changes, and mobilize communities. GBV awareness creation programmes, legal protection and implementation of an effective redress mechanism should be put in place to curb this menace.