A Gender-Responsive Budget Line and Survivor Support Fund for Ekiti

The problem

Laws against gender-based violence and harmful practices such as FGM only protect people when services stand behind them. During my work on the campaign to end FGM, I saw that awareness alone is not enough. A woman or girl who finds out she has legal protection still needs somewhere to report, someone to help her access legal aid, and support to recover. When these services are unfunded or hard to reach, especially in rural communities like those in Ijero, survivors stay silent and cases go unreported.

The proposal

The Ekiti State Government and House of Assembly should establish a clearly labelled budget line, backed by a Survivor Support Fund, for preventing and responding to gender-based violence and harmful practices. It would cover:

1. Survivor support services, including counselling, medical care, and temporary safe shelter.

2. Free legal aid, so survivors can pursue cases without cost being a barrier.

3. Community awareness and prevention, working with women's groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and schools.

4. One accessible support point in each of the three senatorial districts, linked to local government areas and health centres, so no survivor has to travel far.

5. Public reporting, with an annual plain-language report showing how much was budgeted, how much was released and spent, and how many survivors were reached.

Why it matters

· It turns existing legal protections into real services, so rights can be claimed and not merely read about.

· It makes spending visible, so citizens and civil society can check that money meant for women and girls actually reaches them.

· It encourages reporting, because survivors are more likely to come forward when help exists and is nearby.

· It reaches rural women, who are often furthest from legal and health services.

How it could be implemented

Begin with a pilot in one senatorial district for the first year, using existing structures such as primary health centres, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Women Affairs. Partner with development organisations, legal aid groups, and civil society, including agencies that have supported awareness work like mine. Set up a small oversight committee including women's groups and the Assembly's relevant committee to review spending each quarter. After a year, review the number of survivors supported and cases followed through, then extend to the other districts.

Expected result

Survivors across Ekiti, from the market woman to the rural schoolgirl, will know their rights and have real, funded support to claim them, while citizens can see where the money goes.