Itoro Eze-Anaba

Itoro’s work transformed how Nigeria understands, prosecutes, and prevents gender-based violence. Through her advocacy and leadership, she helped drive the passage of Nigeria’s Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) in 2015, a landmark law that, for the first time, defined sexual violence comprehensively, expanded accountability to perpetrators and enablers, and made such acts a federal crime. Her model for sexual assault referral centres has since spread to seven other countries on the continent.

As a young public interest lawyer, Itoro took on the early drafting of what came to be known as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, conducting field research and guiding the strategy for moving it forward. What she discovered in her research in the United Kingdom was that linking all of the existing systems that deal with sexual violence together – the police, medical examiners, child and family services, forensics and others – was an important key to ensuring each system functioned properly. Her other key observation was that prosecuting such crimes needed to be routine and that existing institutions could be trained to perform the tasks that were required.

In 2013, with sufficient funds secured and with the approval of the Ministry of Health, Itoro was able to put those insights into practice, opening the first sexual assault referral centre in Lagos, with the intent of creating a model of how such future centres would operate across the continent. Today the Mirabel Centre in Lagos directly coordinates 9,600 survivors through the justice and healing process, while reaching around 300,000 people monthly through nationwide outreaches, and media campaigns. Building on the success of the Mirabel Centre, independent citizen sector organizations in 22 states in Nigeria have adopted and replicated Itoro’s model to establish sexual assault referral centres.

When the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act was passed in 2015, it gave a tremendous push to Itoro’s advocacy work in Nigeria and across Africa, triggering institutions to shift their own approaches and adopt elements of Itoro’s approach in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, and Malawi.

Sexual violence in Nigeria has long been exacerbated by institutional neglect and cultural barriers, creating a landscape where survivors face immense obstacles in seeking justice and care. The absence of robust legal and medical frameworks has resulted in alarmingly low conviction rates, primarily due to poor evidence collection, victim intimidation, and systemic bias within law enforcement and judicial processes. Without specialized support centres, survivors have historically lacked access to confidential medical care, forensic services, or psychosocial assistance, leaving them without recourse. Police units, often untrained in handling gender-based violence cases, frequently dismiss reports, while healthcare facilities lack the necessary protocols to properly document assaults or provide trauma-informed care. This institutional failure has perpetuated a culture of impunity, allowing perpetrators to act without consequence.

Beyond systemic shortcomings, deeply entrenched societal attitudes further silence survivors. Fear of stigma and social ostracization prevents many from reporting assaults, as victims often face blame rather than support. Family pressures frequently compel survivors to withdraw complaints to avoid shame or familial discord, while religious and cultural norms discourage open discussion of sexual violence, treating it as a private matter rather than a punishable crime. This collective reluctance to acknowledge and address assault has normalized silence, enabling abusers and denying survivors justice or healing.

An effective response to sexual violence must be built on accessibility, multidisciplinary support, and institutional sustainability. Survivors require immediate and confidential access to medical care, forensic documentation, legal aid, and counselling—services that must be streamlined to prevent further trauma. Law enforcement and healthcare providers need specialized training to handle cases with sensitivity and professionalism. Most crucially, interventions must work within existing government and civil society structures to ensure long-term viability rather than relying on temporary or external solutions.

The persistent gaps in Nigeria’s approach to sexual violence reveal an urgent need for systemic reform. Legal frameworks must be strengthened to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable, while medical and law enforcement systems require standardized, survivor-centred protocols. Equally important is the dismantling of harmful cultural norms that suppress reporting and enable abuse. Without these changes, survivors will continue to suffer in silence, and cycles of violence will remain unbroken. Addressing this crisis demands not only policy changes but also a fundamental shift in societal attitudes—one that prioritizes justice, support, and dignity for survivors.

Itoro began building the Mirabel Centre by focusing on reforming the way police officers engaged with survivors. She collaborated closely with the police of Lagos State, developing specialized training programs that emphasized sensitivity in handling cases, the importance of preserving forensic evidence, and methods for interviewing survivors without traumatizing victims afresh. This transformation helped shift the police from being passive responders to active protectors of survivor rights, capable of building stronger cases and ensuring respectful engagement from the first point of contact.

In the healthcare sector, Itoro worked with hospitals and clinics to elevate the medical response to sexual violence. She partnered with healthcare providers to upgrade their laboratory capabilities, enabling them to conduct high-quality forensic examinations that could be admitted in court. Medical staff were trained not just in clinical procedures but also in trauma-informed care, ensuring that survivors received treatment in a safe, dignified, and non-judgmental environment. These medical interventions were critical not only for the survivor’s physical well-being but also for securing legally valid evidence that could support prosecution.

Understanding that justice cannot be achieved without a responsive legal system, Itoro engaged the judiciary to create pathways for faster, fairer hearings of sexual violence cases. She worked with judges and prosecutors to reduce delays, eliminate lengthy court processes, and adopt survivor-friendly courtroom practices. Her collaboration ensured that cases were not only taken seriously but were also tried with the urgency and care they deserved.

At the community level, Itoro embedded a strong emphasis on prevention and education. She mobilized school counsellors and teachers, and community networks which served as platforms for peer education on consent, gender equality, and healthy relationships. These networks, alongside trained community monitors, created a ripple effect across neighbourhoods, empowering young people to recognize, prevent, and respond to incidents of abuse.

Realizing that inconsistent practices could undermine trust in the process, Itoro instituted monitoring mechanisms to ensure quality across all affiliated centres. For instance, when a newly established centre appointed a religious counsellor whose approach risked stigmatizing survivors, Itoro intervened, replacing the counsellor with a trained, neutral professional to maintain the model’s survivor-centred ethos, a testament to the Mirabel Centre’s strong emphasis on rigorous standards and accountability.

Beyond providing direct services through the Mirabel Centre, Itoro’s work has driven deep systemic reform. Her leadership in drafting and advocating for Nigeria’s first legislation against sexual and gender-based assault (SGBV), the Violence against Persons Prohibition Bill (VAPP) paved the way for its passage into law at both state and national levels, establishing a clear legal framework for addressing SGBV. This, coupled with the success of Itoro’s Mirabel Center model inspired the government and other NGOs to partner with Itoro in establishing more Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) across the country. To date, Itoro has directly impacted around 9,600 survivors through the Mirabel Centre, with an additional estimate of 60,000 survivors supported by the over 22 sexual assault referral centres across Nigeria modelled after Itoro’s prototype. These centres all now play a vital role in collecting forensic evidence, coordinating survivor care, and strengthening the criminal justice process. Together, these efforts have expanded access to justice and significantly transformed national awareness encouraging more survivors to report cases and compelling public institutions such as the police and the Ministry of Justice to treat sexual violence as a serious crime rather than a private matter.

Leveraging the power of partnerships, Itoro has inspired the creation of similar survivor-friendly referral and support systems in Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, and Cameroon, shaping how countries across Africa are responding to sexual and gender-based violence.

Itoro’s mother was a child bride. Her mother had five boys and three girls. All of her brothers knew how to cook, and Itoro grew up as a tomboy, climbing trees with the boys. Her mother sold fish in the market and insisted that Itoro stand up for herself. Itoro lived in a Boarding House while she attended secondary school, Federal Government Girls College, Calabar.

After graduating from law school, Itoro worked in a media house as a Legal Officer and later moved to a public interest law firm focusing on women’s issues. At the time, most of her work was focused on drafting the Domestic Violence Bill, which she worked on building support across 12 states in Nigeria, canvassing for its passage into law. But Itoro was also part of a network of human rights defenders and after discussion with them decided to shift her main focus and instead take on work that would address the issue of violence in society more directly and focus on Sexual Violence in particular.

Her ‘aha’ moment came when she travelled to the United Kingdom on the sponsorship of the British Council to attend a seminar on violence against women. During the trip, she visited St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre. She envisioned the Mirabel Centre as a sanctuary and response hub where survivors could receive professional and timely support to overcome the trauma of rape and sexual assault.

Now recognized nationally and internationally, Itoro has received several prestigious awards for her advocacy and impact. These include the Commonwealth Point of Light Award, which acknowledges her extraordinary service in supporting survivors and transforming lives.