UNDP pushes inclusion of gender violence interventions in Nigeria’s  global fund grants

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is pushing for the inclusion of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) interventions in the country’s next Global Fund funding framework.

The global agency stated this during a one-day national consultative workshop on GBV and IPV programming in Abuja, organised ahead of Nigeria’s submission under the Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8).

The agency argued that violence against women and other vulnerable groups remains a major but under-addressed driver of HIV infections and poor health outcomes.

Onyinye  Ndubuisi, UNDP Gender Lead,  said GBV and IPV should not be treated as standalone or awareness-only issues, but embedded within core programme design across sectors supported by the Global Fund.

She said GBV and IPV must be treated as core programme components rather than peripheral awareness issues, warning that fear, silence, and lack of support systems continue to shape how women engage with health services.

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“We want a realistic approach to gender intervention, GBV as a programme under each thematic area of the Global Fund,” she said explaining that the objective was to ensure that intimate partner violence and gender-based violence are reflected within Nigeria’s Global Fund “country envelope”, which determines the scope of funded interventions.

“What UNDP is doing today is to create this multi-sectoral platform,” she said.

Ndubuisi further informed that the workshop was aimed at strengthening coordination across sectors and ensuring that gender-based violence is more systematically addressed within national HIV and health programming bringing together key government institutions, and development partners, to develop a coordinated response to GBV and IPV.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is preparing for its next funding cycle, GC8, which will guide national allocations for several years. Nigeria remains one of the largest recipients of Global Fund support, particularly for HIV programming.

Izukanji Sikazwe, Head of HIV at the Global Fund, said gender-based violence remains one of the key structural barriers undermining HIV epidemic control in Nigeria.

She added that GBV cases are often perpetrated by individuals known to victims, including family members and people within trusted environments such as religious settings, making identification and response more difficult.

Oyedeppo Rotimi, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, in his address  cited data showing Nigeria’s continued HIV burden and the disproportionate impact on key populations, despite their relatively small share of the general population.

He also warned that stigma, discrimination, and fear of legal consequences continue to prevent many people from accessing HIV services.