Men and boys undergo one form of abuse in the society and over the past six years, The Domestic and Sexual Violence agency, DSVA in Lagos State says it has provided services to at least 1,108 men alone who reported cases of domestic violence.
The DSVA is now engaging several stakeholders in the state to get more survivors to speak out against abuse.
The DSVA at an event organised in Lagos with theme: The Hidden Crime, Violence Against Men said the initiative arouse from findings on the research it conducted on 146 convicts in 2016 in which over 80 percent of them said they had been sexually abused and exposed to unhealthy sexual relationships at an early age without getting help before they also began to abuse others.
Previous Community engagements in a bid to eradicating the menace of gender-based violence also had residents urging governments to protect not just females but men and boys from abuse.
The Executive Secretary Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Lagos, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said “we want the men to know that we hear them,
we see them and we encourage them to break the culture of silence.
“A lot of men are suffering in silence and we want them to know that there is no shame in their pain and we encourage them to break
the culture of silence, speak up and speak out.
The event also seeks to enlist more men in concerted efforts to focus on social inclusion, gender equality and the youth in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu close theme agenda.
The agency says it will continue its advocacy against all local government and with critical bodies to partner in efforts for a safer and happier Society.
