Violence During Pregnancy: Care and Accountability in Institutional Practice in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract Book of the 8th Global Conference on Women's Studies

Year: 2026

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Violence During Pregnancy: Care and Accountability in Institutional Practice in Lagos State, Nigeria

Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Oluwatoyosi Abikoye

ABSTRACT:

Pregnancy is commonly assumed to confer heightened protection on women within families and communities. Yet evidence from gender-based violence cases suggests that this assumption does not consistently hold in practice. This paper examines how pregnancy intersects with gender-based violence by analysing data on pregnant survivors reported to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency between 2021 and 2025. Drawing on 380 cases, the study analyses patterns of abuse during pregnancy, including the nature and frequency of violence, marital status, stage of pregnancy, and child witnesses. The findings show that physical violence constitutes the predominant form of abuse, that many survivors experience repeated incidents, and that married women form the majority of reported cases. Violence is observed across pregnancy stages, challenging assumptions that pregnancy mitigates exposure to harm. Beyond patterns of abuse, the paper traces institutional response pathways in these cases, including healthcare referrals, police involvement, welfare support, shelter placement, and court processes. While access to medical care and social support is relatively common, legal accountability outcomes remain uneven, with cases unresolved. This divergence highlights a gap between care and protective or deterrent mechanisms. The paper argues that pregnancy functions less as a protective status than as an overlooked analytical lens through which the strengths and limits of gender-based violence response frameworks become visible. By focusing on institutional behaviour in practice, the study contributes to debates on women’s human rights, vulnerability, and accountability, and highlights the need for response systems that link care with effective protection for survivors of violence.

Keywords: Institutional Response; Protection Mechanisms; Violence During Pregnancy; Women’s Human Rights; Women’s Vulnerability