On March 18, 2025, on the fringes of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, Ph.D, founder, Safe Haven Foundation joined esteemed panelists at a United Nations side event on Protection and Justice for Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) – Approaches & Lessons from Nigeria.
The event, organized by the EU-RoLAC Programme and implemented by International IDEA, highlighted key interventions that have delivered impactful outcomes in Nigeria and contributed to the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Prof. Waziri-Azi spoke on “The Challenges of Coordinating Policy Implementation Across the Formal and Informal Justice Sector in Nigeria”, where she addressed:
✔️ The critical gaps in linking informal justice systems with national legal frameworks
✔️ How community mediation often prioritizes reconciliation over survivor protection and prosecution
✔️ The urgent need for harmonizing laws, engaging traditional leaders, and strengthening legal awareness to ensure justice is accessible, fair, and survivor-centered
Prof. Waziri-Azi concluded by asserting that without community buy-in, policies designed to protect women remain paper laws with no real impact. Bridging the gap between formal and informal justice mechanisms is essential to ensuring survivors receive the protection and justice they deserve.
