Gender & Human Rights cases documented and linked to justice (2024–2026)
Community actors trained on gender equality and human rights
CRAs (5 per state) engaged to lead Know-Your-Rights campaigns and justice referrals
States (and FCT) implementing NEPWHAN GHR interventions
Safeguarding & PSEAH
Our Commitment to Safety, Dignity, and Accountability
NEPWHAN has zero tolerance for Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). Safeguarding is central to our Gender and Human Rights work and to all interactions with communities, partners, and staff.
We are committed to protecting children and adults at risk, preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment, ensuring survivor-centred, confidential, and safe reporting, and taking timely and appropriate action on all concerns.
Overview
The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) is implementing the Gender and Human Rights (GHR) component of the Global Fund GC7 N-THRIP grant as a Sub-Recipient to Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) across 36 states and the FCT.
Our GHR work focuses on removing gender- and rights-related barriers that prevent people living with HIV (PLHIV), key populations (KPs), adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), and other vulnerable groups from accessing HIV and TB prevention, treatment, care, and justice.
Why Gender & Human Rights Matter
Gender inequality and human rights violations remain critical barriers to effective HIV and TB responses in Nigeria. For many people living with HIV, key populations, adolescent girls and young women, and other marginalized groups, access to health services is shaped not only by availability—but by safety, dignity, and fairness.
Stigma, discrimination, and violence—both within communities and in institutional settings—discourage individuals from seeking testing, treatment, and care. Experiences such as unlawful arrest, harassment, extortion, denial of services, and sexual or gender-based violence create fear and mistrust, leading to delayed care, treatment interruption, and poor health outcomes.
Gender norms and power imbalances further heighten vulnerability, particularly for women and girls, who often face limited autonomy over health decisions and increased exposure to abuse. When human rights are not protected, the ripple effects extend beyond individuals—weakening public health outcomes, undermining community trust, and slowing progress toward ending AIDS.
By addressing gender and human rights barriers, NEPWHAN ensures that HIV and TB services are accessible, acceptable, and equitable. A rights-based and gender-responsive approach not only protects individuals—it strengthens health systems, improves service uptake, and enables communities to participate fully and safely in the national response.
Our Approach
NEPWHAN’s Gender and Human Rights (GHR) programme is grounded in Community, Rights, and Gender (CRG) principles and designed to address the structural, social, and legal barriers that prevent vulnerable populations from accessing HIV and TB services.
We adopt a people-centred and survivor-centred approach, ensuring that individuals are treated with dignity, confidentiality, and respect. Communities are not passive beneficiaries but active partners—leading identification of violations, shaping responses, and holding systems accountable.
Our approach combines community leadership, rights-based service delivery, and gender-responsive programming, supported by strong partnerships with government institutions, justice actors, and civil society. By linking community systems with formal health and legal structures, NEPWHAN ensures that gender and human rights protections are not abstract principles, but practical tools that improve access to care and justice.
What We Do
NEPWHAN implements a comprehensive package of GHR interventions that operate at community, facility, and systems levels.
Through a nationwide network of trained Community Rights Advocates (CRAs), we identify, document, and respond to gender and human rights violations affecting PLHIV, key populations, AGYW, and other vulnerable groups. CRAs provide survivor-centred support, facilitate referrals to legal and psychosocial services, and escort survivors through justice processes where necessary.
We work through existing community structures—support groups, networks, and community-based organizations—to ensure trusted, accessible entry points for reporting violations. At the same time, NEPWHAN strengthens the capacity of community actors through targeted training on gender equality, legal literacy, case documentation, and advocacy.
At the systems level, we develop and maintain state-level GHR referral directories, integrate gender and human rights indicators into Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) tools, and leverage digital platforms such as Community iMonitor to generate evidence, improve accountability, and inform national HIV and TB responses.
Our Impact (2024–2026 Targets)
Between 2024 and 2026, NEPWHAN’s GHR programme is expected to deliver measurable and transformative results across Nigeria.
We aim to document and link 66,600 gender and human rights cases to justice, ensuring survivors are supported and perpetrators are held accountable. Thousands of community members, CRAs, CBOs, and support group leaders will gain improved knowledge of gender equality, human rights, and legal protections—strengthening local capacity to prevent and respond to violations.
Through sustained rights awareness and legal empowerment, communities will experience reduced stigma and discrimination, increased confidence in reporting abuses, and improved uptake of HIV and TB services. At the national level, NEPWHAN’s community-generated data will contribute to stronger evidence for policy dialogue, programme improvement, and accountability.
Sustainability
NEPWHAN’s GHR interventions are designed for long-term impact beyond the grant cycle.
We embed gender and human rights principles into NEPWHAN’s organizational policies, strategies, and state-level programming, ensuring institutional ownership and continuity. Peer support networks, mentorship structures, and trained Community Rights Advocates remain active within communities, sustaining demand for rights-based services.
Standardized GHR toolkits, referral directories, and CLM systems provide durable resources that communities and partners can continue to use. By strengthening local capacity and fostering community leadership, NEPWHAN ensures that progress in gender equality and human rights is locally driven, scalable, and resilient.
Monitoring & Accountability
Accountability is central to NEPWHAN’s GHR work. We employ a robust monitoring and learning framework that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Pre- and post-training assessments track changes in knowledge, attitudes, and skills among community actors. Routine case monitoring and follow-up ensure that reported violations are addressed and documented outcomes are recorded.
Community feedback mechanisms and CLM tools provide real-time insights into service barriers and rights violations, allowing for continuous improvement. Data generated through NEPWHAN’s systems feeds into state and national reporting, strengthening transparency, learning, and accountability to communities, partners, and donors.