Social Justice Day: A case for femicide victims

“In 2024, DOHS Cares Foundation tracked 136 reported cases, resulting in 150 deaths. In 2025, the numbers worsened to 172 reported cases and 197 deaths,” the organization noted, considering the fact that beyond the upshot, every killed woman leaves behind scarred communities, orphaned children, and grieving families left to shudder the sorrow,” she said.

Even worse, a considerable number of factors makes children more susceptible to long-term trauma, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, & a decline in academic productivity.

The exposure to such violence in early childhood was reported to significantly increase the likelihood of re-enactment later in life.

But the government’s intervention remains poor. Only a structured and holistic system could best offer support to these survivors. The organization, however, faulted the government for its loose ends.

“After the headlines fade, grieving families are left to shoulder the burden alone,” the statement said. “There is no coordinated national framework tracking where orphaned children are placed, monitoring their safety, or ensuring access to trauma care.

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“Many children are sent to relatives without follow-up. In some cases, silence, stigma, or coercion suppress their voices. They are expected to “move on” without the tools to process profund loss. Justice is equally delayed. Trails are slow. Prosecutions stall. Accountability is inconsistent,” she added.

She recommends expedited trials and dedicated prosecution pathways for femicide cases as part of what it calls redemptive measures.

According to her, social justice cannot be selective. When a woman is killed, the violence does not end with her death; it multiplies in the lives of her children.

She said until Nigeria builds a system that protects the living victims, accelerates prosecution, and guarantees holistic recovery, it cannot claim to be advancing justice. She stressed the importance sympathy and   structural change.

Meanwhile, as part of her contributions, the organization seeks to establish “Healing Haven for Living Victims of Femicide.” The centre is aimed at providing professional counselling, healing circles, economic empowerment, and temporary safe accomodation for women and children affected by gender-based violence.

• Adegoke contributed this piece from Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS)