The Ogun State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, says the state recorded 502 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) between January and November.

Ms Adeleye disclosed this during an advocacy walk held in commemoration of the 2025 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

The commissioner described the figure as “deeply troubling” and indicative of a deepening crisis affecting women, girls, and vulnerable persons.

She said the rise in sexual assault, domestic abuse, child molestation, digital harassment, and intimate partner violence underscored the urgent need for stronger legal safeguards and coordinated institutional action from all stakeholders.

Ms Adeleye said it also reflected the persistence of violence and the growing willingness of survivors to seek help due to improved reporting systems.

The commissioner said that of the 502 cases, 120 were reported at the state’s sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), while the remaining cases were documented through area offices and partner organisations.

She said the ministry captured only the cases that reached government channels, adding that many women and children remain silent out of fear, stigma, or social pressure.

Ms Adeleye noted that the spike in digital-related abuses, including cyberbullying, online harassment, sextortion, and impersonation, was emerging as a major concern for the state in the digital age.

Speaking on the year’s theme, “Unite to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls,” Ms Adeleye warned that technology had created a new frontier for abuse, allowing perpetrators to target victims remotely and anonymously.

“The growing digital exposure of young people has left many vulnerable to online grooming, extortion, and emotional manipulation.

“There are several interventions of the present administration through the ministry in partnership with the State Economic Transformation Project and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to strengthen the sexual assault referral centres (SARCs),” she said.

She said the ministry expanded statewide sensitisation programmes in rural and urban communities, engaging traditional institutions, religious bodies, and schools to dismantle cultural practices that normalise violence.

The commissioner identified major institutional challenges undermining progress, including slow judicial processes, family interference, and weak interagency coordination.

She advocated for bold legal reforms to support survivors, safe termination options for rape and incest survivors, and the formal classification of rape as a non-bailable offence.

The commissioner urged parents, teachers, digital platforms, and community leaders to take greater responsibility in safeguarding children and addressing online risks.

Earlier, the governor’s wife, Bamidele Abiodun, and Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele expressed the government’s commitment to implementing measures to reduce GBV cases in the state.

(NAN)