Gender Audit Report on Assessment of Protection Services and Shelter in Nigeria unveiled

The Gender Audit Report has been elaborated to strengthen gender-responsive interventions and services by frontline service providers including the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), other law enforcement agencies, civil society, faith-based organizations running shelters and safe homes for trafficked survivors and returnees in Nigeria. The pioneer qualitative research was considered imperative for the purpose of unveiling the gap in the protective services offered to Victims of Trafficking (VoTs) and relevant for the development of tools and tailor-made trainings targeted at enhancing the capacity of frontline service providers (The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs) e.t.c) including security, health and justice sector agencies.

The gender audit reports contribute substantially to the growing body of evidence-based research on trafficking of persons; and useful to inform policy and program interventions that support and upscale the replication of interventions that target ‘enablers’ (recruiters) of sex trafficking and empower local communities against them.

Launch of the gender audit in Abuja, Nigeria. Photo: Cleen Foundation

Short Term Results

The intervention has awakened the interest of stakeholders on the importance of gender in preventing forced migration and trafficking in Nigeria. The publications from the gender audit reports for Lagos and Edo States was widely received by key stakeholders especially NAPTIP, leading to the National launch of the Harmonized Gender Audit Report in Abuja by UN Women and the CLEEN Foundation.

According to a project beneficiary “the gender audit report of shelters is highly relevant as it x-rayed the gaps in the system”. NAPTIP particularly hammered on the importance of this gender audit report and expressed their appreciation to CLEEN and the UN Women for conducting the research. Other security agencies like the Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Customs, Nigeria Immigration Service, etc and CSOs also affirmed the relevance of the Gender Audit Report in their line of duty.

The relevance of the project to stakeholders has led to NAPTIPs request to UN Women and the Government of Italy to carry out Gender Audit of protection services and shelters in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja which was granted by UN Women and an additional 70,000USD awarded to CLEEN Foundation to replicate the gender audit activities in Abuja.

Furthermore, the Gender Audit intervention had the following outcomes;

• Improved knowledge of the existing laws and policies on human trafficking which would greatly improve access to justice and service delivery.
• Enhanced understanding of the roles of various Law Enforcement Agencies in combating human trafficking.
• Improved synergy and coordination Law Enforcement Agencies and taskforce on human trafficking in Edo and Lagos states.
• Improved knowledge of stakeholders on availability of safe homes and shelters for survivors in Edo and Lagos states.