Lagos launches app to tackle domestic, sexual violence cases
By Ibrahim Adeleke
The Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) of the Lagos State Government has launched a digital app to help the victims of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence. During the launch of the Lagos State DSVA, Mrs Titilola Viviour- Adeniyi, the Executive Secretary of the body, said that the platform would make sure that cases were handled as well as possible.
Viviour-Adeniyi says that, despite all the problems it caused, the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic gave service providers and the government a chance to look inward, find systemic gaps, and rethink how to improve service delivery. he said that the Joint EU-UN Spotlight project supported the Lagos State Government due to the requirement to standardize response processes in Lagos State. The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Unified Response Protocol and Referral Pathway Document, the first of its type in Nigeria, was developed, according to the Executive Secretary, and support was given through its creation. The document was ratified in 2021. She said that a portion of the funding was allocated for the creation of a web portal and a mobile (Android and iOS) case management application.
Viviour-Adeniyi said that from start to finish, sexual and genderbased assault cases are now handled and managed by hand, from completing complaint forms to printing referral letters to other referral/responder organizations, sending out letters, monitoring cases, and other associated manual activities.
In essence, DSVCMS digitalizes case management from start to finish for all pertinent responder agencies. The appropriate responder agencies can enter case facts and update information on actions performed with the press of a button. Since the entire ecosystem will have access to this information, she claimed, accountability and transparency would increase.
According to Viviour-Adeniyi, the app would make it easier to follow up on instances and ensure that all necessary responder agencies, such as the police, hospitals, social services, and partner non-governmental organisations, could carry out their functions as effectively as possible.
