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AXA Mansard, a member of AXA, a global leader in insurance and asset management, has put its weight behind the fight against Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV).

The company, in commemoration of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, AXA Week for Good, mobilized over 300 of its employees across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to embark on an awareness walk to increase education and awareness about the dangers of SGBV, particularly on girls and female adults.

SGBV is a pervasive issue that affects countless individuals, predominantly women and girls, in Nigeria. It encompasses various forms of violence, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, harassment, and harmful traditional practices.

Speaking on the initiative, Chief Client Officer, AXA Mansard, Rashidat Adebisi, explained that the initiative is another expression of the company’s purpose of acting for human progress by protecting what matters. According to her, although progress means different things to different people; our society will never be able to truly progress until everyone is given the same opportunity to fulfil their potentials.

“Violence against women and girls reduces their opportunities, curtails their potential and hampers their growth. According to UNICEF, almost one in three women and girls between the ages of 15-49 have experienced physical violence and one in four girls have experienced sexual violence or abuse in Nigeria”.

So it is a major setback to our collective progress. That’s why for this year’s AXA Week for Good, we are focusing on the topic. We are convinced that women and girls matter and protecting them is what we must do to truly realize a society where everyone is truly progressing”, she noted.

On her part, Jumoke Odunlami, the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer AXA Mansard, expressed her delight at the turn out of employees across the country. She enthused that the high turn out is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to eradicating the social malaise such as SGBV.

She commented ; « the actions we aret taking across major cities in Nigeria today is another way of showing how much we care about a sustainable and progressive society. More importantly is the fact that this resonates with our employees. Over 300 of us dedicated our time to raise awareness and increase in education about SGBV is a commendable feat and we want to appreciate our employees for their selflessness ».

Also speaking during the awarness walk in Lagos, Adeola Potts-Johnson, Programmes Manager, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), highlighted the importance of collective action and commended AXA Mansard for the initiative.

“We are grateful for AXA Mansard’s support in this fight against SGBV. With commitment from more organisations and well-meaning individuals, we can create a society free from violence, and where survivors receive the needed support. We can encourage more people to speak up and help millions of young people to identify and avoid every form of violence.