How we’re combating gender-based violence, by Sanwo-Olu

Governor Sanwo-Olu made these assertions during International Women’s Day Celebration organised by the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

He promised to continue investing in survival support systems, legal enforcement mechanisms, and social protection structures that ensure dignity is restored and preserved.

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According to him, the state government has translated policy into structured interventions by expanding skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes to enhance economic independence for women, strengthening social protection initiatives to support vulnerable families, promoting female participation in leadership and governance and investing in poverty alleviation frameworks that prioritize inclusion.

He said: “These are not charity efforts; they are strategic economic decisions. This is where our campaign message, “Give to Gain,” becomes instructive. When government gives access to education, we gain productivity. When we give protection under the law, we gain safer communities. When we give women economic opportunity, we gain inclusive growth. When we give girls the right environment to thrive, we gain innovation and long-term development. “Give to Gain” is not a slogan. It is a governance principle grounded in evidence and accountability. It reflects the understanding that investment in women yields measurable social and economic returns.

“As we move forward, I charge those in positions of authority to ensure that their influence strengthens rights and advances justice, while the private sector plays its part in expanding opportunity and inclusion. Our public institutions must remain anchored in accountability, firm, consistent, and non-negotiable. And to the women and girls of Lagos State, this administration stands resolute in its commitment to protect your rights, enforce justice, and sustain meaningful action.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu hailed WAPA Commissioner, Mrs Bolaji Cecilia Dada and her team for translating policies into measurable impact across our state, saying he is looking forward to continuing to build a Lagos where rights are guaranteed, justice is uncompromised, and action delivers opportunity for all women and girls.

Mrs Dada said her ministry’s mandate is clear - to protect, empower, and create structured pathways out of poverty for women and vulnerable persons through deliberate, institutional, and sustainable interventions.

She noted that women’s rights are fundamental human rights, adding “they are not negotiable, and they are not optional. Every woman and girl in Lagos State deserves to live free from violence, discrimination, exploitation, and fear.

“Through strengthened Domestic and Sexual Violence response mechanisms, shelters, psychosocial support services, family court collaboration, and community-based structures, we are reinforcing institutional systems that protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable. We continue to deepen partnerships with law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, civil society organisations, and traditional institutions to ensure that protection is accessible and responsive.

According to her, poverty remains one of the greatest threats to women’s autonomy.

“A woman without income is more vulnerable to abuse, exclusion, and dependency. This is why poverty alleviation is central to our strategy. Across the five administrative divisions of Lagos State, our Skills Acquisition Centres, entrepreneurship training, digital empowerment programmes, and micro Enterprise support initiative(MESI) are equipping women with employable skills and enterprise capacity. We are transforming beneficiaries into income earners, business owners, and contributors to the State’s economy.

“We have prioritised inclusion ensuring that women in rural and riverine communities, women living with disabilities, HIV, widows, elderly women, and other vulnerable groups are not left behind. Inclusion is not charity. It is governance responsibility,” she said.