ABSTRACT

The FGD was conducted show that

adolescent girls are the most insecure
groups in the communities.

[Baseline Survey]
 Results from Baseline Survey
On Gender-
Based Violence
In
Borno State Nigeria.

A Report from Women Protection and Empowerment

International Rescue Committee

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
1. Introduction

Since 2009 and with more recent escalation since 2012, violence resulting from the Boko Haram
insurgency has crippled north-eastern Nigeria. Over 20,000 civilians have lost their lives and thousands of
women and girls have been abducted and forced into sexual slavery Borno State (Borno) has been
particularly affected, with all 27 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Boko Haram control at one point. Of
the 7 million in need across Northeastern Nigeria, 3 million remained trapped in inaccessible areas.
However, in recent months, advances by the Nigerian Army and the Multinational Joint Task Force have
led to improved access to some LGAs in Borno, revealing significant humanitarian needs.

Sexual & Gender Based Violence (SGBV) encompasses violence that is directed against a person or a
group of persons on the basis of their gender or sex. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual
harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty whether occurring in
public or private life.

Gender-Based Violence

With the intensification of conflict driven by Boko Haram, the prevalence of GBV has escalated
dramatically in northeast Nigeria. According to the Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan, about 30% of
women in the northeast reported experiencing GBV since 2013. Women and girls are targeted for
abduction by Boko Haram and are often raped, forced into labor, marriage or religious conversion,
abused, exposed to sexually transmitted infections and are often pregnant upon escaping captivity. Once
in secure areas, women and girls remain vulnerable, due to a lack of access to food and essential NFIs
and the loss of traditional protective social infrastructure. During focus group discussions (FDGs) held
with displaced women and girls in Maiduguri city at the end of Feb 2017, some adolescent girls reported
engaging in survival sex to meet their basic needs. There is also a high military presence throughout both
Adamawa and Borno States, which often leads to further risks of exploitation, rape, coercion, and abuse
of IDP women and girls.

GBV survivors in Borno States face a lack of health and psychosocial support services in these areas, as
well as few supportive reporting channels, leading survivors to avoid reporting these incidents, fearing
retribution, shame, blame, and humiliation. Clinical staff in the northeast are not routinely trained in
appropriate responses to GBV, and legal responses and judiciary systems do not acknowledge the risks
faced by survivors making a complaint and acting as witnesses. Given the high prevalence of GBV in
these areas, there are critical needs for specialized, comprehensive and multi-sectorial GBV prevention

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
and treatment services. Existing medical facilities are not stocked with specialized drugs and nor do the
health workers have specific-training skills in dealing with GBV survivors. Opportunities for women and
girls to improve their economic status are extremely scarce for both IDPs in host communities and in
camps as well as for those who have been able to return home. Access to credit through Village Savings
and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to meet women’s immediate personal and family financial needs does
not exist in Borno while in Adamawa IRC has recorded the immense benefits of these groups to women’s
economic wellbeing as well as providing an avenue for social support structures of the group members

The specific objectives of the baseline study were:

a) To gather baseline information on attitudes and beliefs about gender based violence;

b) To identify the extent of different types of violence which are occurring or have occurred within the
communities?

c) To identify the health needs which arise as a result of these forms of violence?

d) To identify groups which are especially vulnerable?

e) To identify the individual and community strengths and resources that exist to prevent and to respond
to violence; and

f) To identify intervention strategies for prevention and treatment based on these community strengths
and resources.

3 Methodologies

From 26thto30th Jan. the IRC WPE team conducts an assessment on GBV in BORNO State in order to
better understand the concerns of women and girls. The area the assessment conducted is;

✓ Moduganari
✓ Shuwari tashan kano
✓ Dala Diari
✓ Buzu Quarters
✓ Gomari
✓ Mairi Uniguess
✓ Mairi Kuwait
✓ Shuwari1
✓ Shuwari2
✓ Shuwari3
✓ Bolori kasuwa

The assessment methodologies include 22 FGDs and 11 KIIs sessions. Hausa language was used as the
primary medium of communication during the assessments. The information obtained provided insight

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
into concerns and needs of women and girls in the community and will be use to inform IRC GBV
programming advocacy and how to best address risk that women and girls identified.

Sample size and sampling procedure

Characteristics of women and girls in the community

(A) Adult women

(B) Adolescent girls.

A total of 22 FGDs sessions, 2 per location were conducted in preselected communities of Jere and MMC
LGAs in Borno state.

One Key informant in each of the communities

Each of the targeted groups was interviewed separately. The group size consists of maximum 10 - 12
participants. The table below shows the summary statistics.

Table1. Role of Key informant in the community

Key informant role %

Male community leader 0%
women leader 100%

Fig.1 showing % of respondent by Sex

100%
80%
Male community
60%
leader
40%
women leader
20%
0%
%

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
Table2. Showing the FGD respondents in the community

Age group Sex %

10-14 Adolescent girls 0%
15-19 Adult girls 65%
20-24 Adult women 75%
25-40 women 75%

4 Key Findings of FGDs

The key findings were that lack of acceptance and isolation of survivors (women and girls) are the most
concerning issues in the communities. For example, when a girl is known to be a survivor she is kept in
the family home without going out. This according to the finding is to “protect the family from shame”.
Some families do relocate the survivors from the community against their wish and in extreme cases they
send the survivors away from the family completely. The FGD sessions held with the women and girls in
the communities also showed that adolescent girls engage themselves in survivor sex to enable them
meet basic needs. Furthermore various sessions held has shown that most of these adolescent girls are
sent by their parent for Sex activities. Age group of this is 18 to 15

Findings from the sessions conducted in one of the communities also showed these adolescent girls aged
15 to 18 years are staying on their own, without anyone having control over them which give them
absolute freedom engage in sex activities, follow after men and do drugs.

Key finding identified in all the communities where the FGD was conducted show that adolescent girls are
the most insecure groups in the communities as a result of the following

✓ kidnapping,
✓ rape
✓ harassment (of all sorts)
✓ Forced marriage.

These survivors in most cases if not all are faced with

✓ Stigmatization due to disbelief

✓ rejection and abuse from their immediate families and the community
✓ GBV survivors in the communities have little or no access to health and psychosocial support
services
✓ Lack of knowledge about the proper reporting channels and mechanisms

The aforementioned lead

✓ Fear
✓ Self-Blame
✓ Further abuses like Domestic violence and Denial of resource

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
The survivors rather than reporting incidences of violence, keep to themselves which causes more harm
and leads them to negative coping mechanisms like

✓ Drugs
✓ Prostitution

Domestic violence is of serious concern. Women suffer from verbal and physical assaults (beating) from
their spouses or partners. Men who have lost their means of livelihood due to one reason or the other,
hence cannot provide food and other materials to carter for the welfare of their family and most times
react violently to their wives demand to provide for food or other necessities.

Based on the FGD in communities, 95% respondent’s expresses that adolescent girls are the most at
risk. Most of these girls don’t go out at night due to the fear of being attacked or harassed. These
categories are being targeted men and adolescent boys within the communities especially in places that
are dark and lack proper lighting. These lead to

✓ Harassment
✓ Rape
✓ Beating

Help-seeking behaviours and barriers

FGDs illuminated key barriers to access, including lack of services to access, fear of the community’s
reaction, and fear of disbelief, shame, and lack of confidentiality.

Community leaders were identified as possible coping mechanism to use if there is any violence against
women. More adult females expressed the community leader as a resource. However, once that
violence is described as abduction or sexual violence, the support system changes for the worse. Further
to add to the barriers, participants noted that if a young girl does report violence to the community
leaders, she is likely to be ignored:

There is a noted difference in coping mechanisms between a women who is perceived as a victim of
violence and a female who is perceived to have experienced sexual violence. When asked about general
violence, FGDs noted that for coping mechanisms, “you will take care of her” and often noted the
community leadership as support, and in one FGD the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF), as a referral point.
For adolescent girls, some noted they can seek help from their parents1. However, when the issue of
sexual violence or abductions were mentioned, a different coping mechanism and response emerged.

The number one coping mechanism described to address sexual violence was to not tell anyone.
Another group also identified staying quiet as a form of resiliency.

The other mechanism was to stay away from the area where the incident may have occurred.

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
Causes and Risk Factors

According to the women and girls in the communities, the following have been supported by evidence to
be critical causes and risk factors:
✓ Traditional gender norms that support male superiority and entitlement

✓ Social norms that tolerate or justify violence against women

✓ Weak community sanctions against perpetrators
✓ Poverty

✓ High levels of crime and conflict in society more generally

Key Finding for the Key informant in the community.

Based on the key informant interview in the communities 85% of the respondents express the following
challenges.

• Drug abuse especially among youths,

• Limited or no access to health care facilities and services
• People hardly report GBV cases (because they believe no action is taken)
• People are generally unaware of GBV and the proper reporting and referral channels
• Some parents seems to encourage survivor sex by turning a blind eye to activities of their young
girls
• The root cause of adolescent girls involving themselves in sex activities is that they have no
means of livelihood

Findings from the KII sessions Rape are mostly not reported and it is a challenge faced by girls in the
communities follows by force marriage.

Victims of GBV mostly disclose their cases which are due to cultural forces and most of these cases are
based on forces marriages.

The findings identified most of the community no GBV response or prevention services visible in the
communities. There was lack of knowledge on GBV in the in the communities and the health care
providers.

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 Fig 2 below showing the main risk faced by women and girls in the community

main risk faced in the communities

Force marriage Harasment

36% 46%

Rape
18%

The pie chart shows that harrassment has the highest percentage of main risk faced by women and girls
in the community which the total of 46%.The causes of this harsament in the community is due to drugs
abuse by the men and boys in the communities so they mostly harass the girls some times even the
women. Harrassments are in form of sexual,emotional and psycological violances which is as a result of
unequal power relations,denial of resources and brackdown in social structure due to Boko Harman
insurgences in the noth east region.And also threat of divorce if the women refusse to comply with men’s
demands in terms of resouces control.

Forced marriage is the second risk faced by women and girls in the community 36 percentage. Girls are
forced to marry at the early stage of 12 to 13 and some are even taken away by the Boko Haram
members as there wives. One of the reasons of the forced or early marriage is poverty. Parents usualy
claim that povery push them to marry their daughters off at the tender age while others are abducted and
married by the insurgents. Another contributing factor is cultural beliefs in society where women don’t
have equal right in the community as the men. Some get married at early stage bescause to prevent
unwanted pregnancy.

Rape the major factors responsible for rape is breakdown in social structures that makes the perpetrators
go unpunished most of the times.Cultureals forces play a kry role that makes reporting of rape cases and
seeking immediate medical help defcules because of fear of socila stigma in the community.

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 Fig 3 The pie chart below shows the reporting channels in the community.

The pie chart shows the responses of women and girls with regards to where to report GBV cases. 45%
of the respondents do not report GBV cases due to the stigma associated with it.why because of fear of
shame ,misperception of GBV, blame, and some are scared of not getting husband. Women and girls
expressed a lack of acceptance and isolation of survivors as the most concerning issue. For example,
when a girl is known to be a survivor, she is kept in the family home to prevent the family from feeling
shame.

With regards to Medical treatment, the survey has identified gaps and urgent needs including inadequate
services, equipments and facilities are in despair, untrained staff, and minimal actors that provide
essential services in conflict, such as GBV response services.

Recommendations

The IRC, through provision of WPE programming, will provide psychosocial support activities, GBV case
management, CCSAS, access. These services will also:

• Be composed of WPE teams to reduce the burden on women and girls seeking services in
several locations and provide immediate life-saving services,
• Provide age-appropriate emotional support groups to women and girls in order to build networks
and heal from trauma,
• Engage in community outreach and information campaigns on GBV consequences, and how to
safely access services in a dignified way which encourages the help-seeking behaviors of

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 women and girls,
• Support and establish a GBV referral pathway, inclusive of training of referral actors and
humanitarians.
• Implement programming to address the specific needs of adolescent girls
Adolescent girls are in need of their own programming which can meet their specific needs in order to
recover and thrive from the conflict. As indicated in the assessment, adolescent girls are an unheard
population at risk of unwanted pregnancy, rape, and denial of basic rights such as freedom to leave the
house.

Cross section of FGD with adolescent girls in the community

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
Cross section of FGD with women in the community

Cross section of KII

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
l

Annex I

GBV Assessment Tools

Part 4: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

Note: This tool should be used during small group discussions. The team should ensure participants that all information shared
within the discussion will remain confidential; if the secretary takes down notes, s/he will not have any information identifying or
associating individuals with responses. Some of these questions are sensitive. You should take all potential ethical concerns into
consideration before the discussion, considering the safety of respondents, ensuring that all participants agree that no
information shared in the discussion will be divulged outside the group, and obtaining informed consent from participants. The
group should be made of like members – community leaders, adult women, youth, adolescent girls, etc. – should not include more
than 10 to 12 participants, and should not last more than one to one-and-a-half hours.

In order to increase acceptance and ensure that participants are not the targets of community suspicion, threats or violence, be
sure to consider:

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 1. If you do not feel it is safe to have this discussion, or that it may cause risk for staff or participants, do not proceed.
2. Before mobilizing participants, meet with community leaders and/or local government to explain the purpose of the
assessment visit – to better understand the health and safety concerns affecting women and girls after the crisis – and
the presence of the assessment team in the community.
3. Where possible, link with a range of local women’s leaders – formal and informal – during participant mobilization.
Women leaders may be involved in one focus group, but should not be present in all groups to ensure that women feel
free to speak openly.
4. Where relevant, carry out focus group discussions in the displaced, refugee or returnee community, as well as in the
host community.
5. Ensure that staffs facilitating focus group discussions do not ask probing questions in an effort to identify the
perpetrators of violence (i.e., one specific armed group).

Focus group discussion facilitator:

Secretary (if applicable):

Geographic region:

Date:_______________________ Location:_______________________

Translation necessary for the interview: Yes No

If yes, the translation was from ____________________ (language) to ____ (language)

Sex of FGD participants: Male Female

Age of FGD participants:

10-14 years

15-19 years

20-24 years

25-40 years

Over 40 years

ESSENTIAL STEPS & INFORMATION BEFORE STARTING THE FOCUS GROUP

DISCUSSION

Introduce all facilitators and translators

Present the purpose of the discussion:

• General information about your organization

• Purpose of the focus group discussion is to understand concerns and needs for women and girls
• Explain what you will do with this information and make sure that you do not make false promises
• Participation is voluntary

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 • No one is obligated to respond to any questions if s/he does not wish
• Participants can leave the discussion at any time
• No one is obligated to share personal experiences if s/he does not wish
• If sharing examples or experiences, individual names should not be shared
• Be respectful when others speak
• The facilitator might interrupt discussion, but only to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak and no one
person dominates the discussion

Agree on confidentiality:

• Keep all discussion confidential

• Do not share details of the discussion later, whether with people who are present or not
• If someone asks, explain that you were speaking about the health problems of women and girls

Ask permission to take notes:

• No one’s identify will be mentioned

• The purpose of the notes is to ensure that the information collected is precise

QUESTIONS

A. We would like to ask you a few questions about the security of women and girls after the crisis:

Note: You may choose to use community mapping to approach questions 1-2.2

1. In this community is there a place where women and girls feel unsafe or try to avoid? (Day? Night?) What
is it that makes this place unsafe?
2. From whom can women and girls seek assistance in case of a security problem?
3. According to you, what could be done in this community to create a safe environment for women and girls?
4. Describe what kinds of violence women and girls faced during the crisis (not only acts of violence
committed by armed actors). Adapt this question to reflect the specific context.
5. What happens to the actors of these acts of violence against women and girls? Are they punished? If so,
how?
6. Without mentioning names or indicating any one means, according to you which group(s) of women and
girls feels the most insecure or the most exposed to risks of violence? Why? Which group(s) of women and
girls feels the most secure? Why?
7. How does the family treat a woman or a girl who was the victim of rape or sexual assault? How do they
support her?
8. What do women and girls do to protect themselves from violence? What does the community do to protect
them?
9. What do women usually do after they have experienced such violence? Do they seek help?
10. When a woman or girl is the victim of violence, where does she feel safe and comfortable going to receive
medical treatment?
11. Are there other services or support (counseling, women’s groups, legal aid, etc.) available for women and
girls that are victims of violence?

Sample case study 1: A young girl left her shelter during the night to use the latrine. She reached the latrine and
entered, but while inside heard noises nearby. When she exited the latrine a man grabbed her, pulled her behind the
latrines and raped her.

2
See the GBV Sub-Cluster Community Mapping Guidance Note.

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 12. If a woman reported that she experienced violence similar to the woman in the story, how many of you
would believe her story?
13. Why do women and girls hesitate to share experiences like this with other people?
14. Where could this woman go to receive appropriate assistance? What kind of assistance and support
Could she receive?

15. What do women and girls do to support them self in terms of livelihood
16. What kind of skills do women and girls mostly do in the community

CONCLUDE THE DISCUSSION

• Thank participants for their time and their contributions.

• Remind participants that the purpose of this discussion was to better understand the needs and concerns of
women and girls since the crisis.
• Explain the next steps. Again, repeat what you will do with this information and what purpose it will
eventually serve. Also inform participants if you will be back.
• Remind participants of their agreement to confidentiality.
• Remind participants not to share information or the names of other participants with others in the
community.
• Ask participants if they have questions.
• If anyone wishes to speak in private, respond that the facilitator and secretary will be available after the
meeting.

Annex II
WPE Key Informant Assessment Tools

LGA Community/Camp Date of interview Enumerator’s Questionnaire

code #

Hello, my name is _______________ and am working with International Rescue Committee (IRC). we are
conducting interviewing to measure the understanding of women and girls, identify the gaps , unmet needs, health &
safety concerns affecting women and girls in the community

What you will say will be kept confidential and will not be revealed to any other group. This survey will
take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Would you like to answer questions on our services to help improve our assistance?
- YES
- NO

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
If No, please let us know why:

Demography
Key informant role
[1] community leader

[2] women leader

[3] IDP

[4] Host

[5] Returnee

Gender of key informant

[1] Male
[2] Female
Age of key informant:

[1] 10-14 years

[2] 15-19 years

[3] 20-24 years

[4] 25-40 years

[5] Over 40 years

General Knowledge

1. What are the main risks faced by women and girls in your community?

2. What kind of support/ treatment do they get?

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State
 = Medical treatment
Support from family/community members,
5= Individual coping strategy

If a woman/girl experience sexual violence, Where do you think they should report to
3.

Have you help a woman/girl who was experiencing violence in the community?
4.

Have you inform any local leader about domestic violence in community?
5.

Have you seen people in your community doing something to prevent gender-based
violence?
6.

Do you know of a place where women and girls in this community can get help if they
have experienced sexual violence or rape?

7.

If you come across a girl/woman who have suffered from sexual violence, what would
8. you do?

Are health services available for girls and women in the community/camp?

9.

10. Do girls and women have access to the health services at any time?

Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) Baseline survey Maiduguri, Borno State