DOHS Cares Foundation, a group focused on women and children matters has launched the #NoDeyKpaiWoman campaign to create awareness and take action against rising incidences of femicide.
With the hashtag, the group seeks to address the issue of femicide and calls for an end to it.
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The hashtag, written in Pidgin English, a widely spoken language in Nigeria, roughly translates to ‘stop killing woman.’
Femicide is the killing of women or girls particularly by men on account of their gender. It is the most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls, according to UN Women.
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Ololade Ajayi, the convener told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that #NoDeyKpaiWoman campaign is about localising femicide awareness.
Ms Ajayi said that the campaign is about presenting evidence-based data on femicide cases in Nigeria, awareness creation and also to advocate for policy reformation and legislation on femicide.
“So that people in rural communities recognise femicide for what it is, and can identify red flags and possibly prevent potential perpetrators from carrying out the act,” she said.
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She further said the campaign will serve as a tool to determine knowledge about femicide.
Speaking about the trend of femicide in Nigeria, Ms Ajayi noted that from January to February alone, 29 women were reported to have been killed.
“We track cases across the internet and social media and also as first responders to SGBV, we are alerted to some cases by community members,” she noted.
“We are focused on femicide prevention and thereby instituted the femicide prevention hub to create awareness, measure state’s response, measure impacts on victims’ families and the nation, economy.
“Measure justice, review and analyse cases, and also develop an app that will respond to prevent potential cases of femicide.”
Why it matters
Ms Ajayi said that the campaign is to “address the impunity with which the death occurs.”
“It’s to show that we will speak up. We will not tolerate femicide. And we want women and girls to be able to recognise the red flag and report potential cases of femicide. we want the government to take action,” she said.
The group had made calls to the Lagos State House of Assembly to legislate femicide, however, it has not yielded significant result.
On 4 August 2024, the civil society group marched to the Lagos State Assembly to present a draft bill for consideration to criminalise the deliberate killing of women.
A follow-up visit was made on 30 August of same year following the response of Omolara Olumegbo, a lawmaker representing the Lagos Island 1 Constituency and chairperson, of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty and Job Creation.
The lawmaker in a letter said there are existing laws that address their concerns.
However, the group said the laws of the state do not explicitly mention femicide.
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