Amnesty International and lawyers in Imo have advocated a survivor-centred approach to gender-based violence cases, urging stronger legal responses and improved support for survivors.

The call came during a two-day training for lawyers and civil society representatives on the legal response to GBV, organised by the rights organisation in Owerri on Thursday.

Amnesty International’s officer, Helen Adah, urged participants to always approach GBV cases from the survivor’s perspective to ensure justice and protection.

Ms Adah described female lawyers as “part of the first responders” in GBV cases, highlighting their critical role in supporting survivors from the outset.

“As first points of contact for victims of GBV, legal practitioners can achieve better outcomes with strategic media communication, evidence gathering and a survivor-centred approach,” she said.

Ms Adah said Amnesty had also trained GBV stakeholders in Kano and Oyo to strengthen their capacities for effective legal and institutional responses.

The chief state counsel at the Imo Ministry of Justice, Chinaka Sunday-Iheruo, encouraged GBV survivors to approach the ministry freely for legal assistance.

Ms Sunday-Iheruo said lawyers in Imo “do everything within their legitimate rights”, including personal expenses, to secure justice.

Resource person, Rosemary Hamza, stressed the importance of referral pathways in ensuring comprehensive support services and coordinated responses for GBV survivors.

Ms Hamza warned that weak referral systems could increase trauma, compromise confidentiality and worsen recovery outcomes, exposing survivors to greater risks of repeated violence.

She urged lawyers to remain committed despite family and societal pressures that often discourage survivors from pursuing justice through legal channels.

Imo’s chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Phil Amaefule, said the association’s pro bono lawyers remained available to assist GBV survivors.

Human rights advocate, Ndidi Anike Val-Okeoma, urged the Imo government to establish an agency providing direct referral pathways for GBV survivors.

Ms Val-Okeoma said such an agency would simplify referrals, improve access to services and serve as an additional deterrent against perpetrators of gender-based violence.

(NAN)