The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has recorded 41 cases of Technology-Facilitated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (TFSGBV), signaling an emerging threat that demands immediate action.

The Agency (DSVA) today conducted a comprehensive sensitization programme for secondary school students, focusing on the emerging challenge of Technology-Facilitated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (TFSGBV).

The event, themed “Technology and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV),” engaged one hundred students from District 5. Participating schools included Ojo Senior High School, Ojo Junior High School, Community Senior and Junior Secondary School, and Lagos State Senior and Junior Model College, Ojo. The students were accompanied by their teachers and the District Counsellor.

The Executive Secretary of the DSVA, Mrs. Lola Adeniyi Vivour-Adeniyi who was ably represented by Damilare Adewusi, head of Community Engagment, underscored the critical importance of digital responsibility and civic awareness in the modern age.

He charged the students to leverage their influence as digital natives, empowering them to become ambassadors for change by disseminating knowledge on technology-related SGBV within their schools and communities.

The session featured an interactive and educational discussion designed to equip students with vital information. Mr. Damilare Adewusi, provided a detailed exposition on the various forms of Technology-Facilitated SGBV, elucidating concepts such as cyberbullying, image-based abuse, online grooming, and digital harassment. A key component of the presentation was the emphasis on the DSVA’s toll-free line as a critical, confidential resource for reporting incidents and seeking support.

This advocacy initiative reaffirms the Lagos State Government’s commitment, through the DSVA, to a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including those perpetrated through digital platforms.