Background

In northeast Nigeria, where deeply damaging patriarchal norms prevail and people live under the constant threat of militia violence, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services that focus on Women as well as Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) programming. Social norms mean that there is often stigma surrounding SRH and GBV services and the women and girls who use them, so supporting their empowerment is key to helping women and girls access SRH and GBV services. GBV and empower them to protect themselves from violence.

The first case of Covid-19 was reported in Nigeria in February 2020, and since then the country has been severely affected by the pandemic, putting both public health and healthcare systems at risk. The Nigerian government imposed a lockdown and movement restrictions at the end of April 2020, and the IRC began a reduction in services during the same period. The restrictions continued until September 2020, and during the lockdown period only healthcare personnel and approved vehicles could travel. The IRC continued to provide most SRH services, but the frequency of non-critical services such as antenatal care (ANC) was reduced and greater amounts of short-acting methods were administered to reduce the need for visits. More remote locations such as Gwoza have faced staffing difficulties due to UN Humanitarian Air Service quarantine protocols, which have made it difficult for staff to enter and exit. Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) was not considered essential by the government and therefore WPE activities, including treatment of GBV survivors, were limited to remote service delivery .

IRC’s work in North East Nigeria has inevitably become more difficult during this acute phase of Covid-19. This assessment was therefore undertaken to understand the cross-cutting impacts of the pandemic on the demand for, access to and provision of SRH services and protective measures. , primarily from the perspective of women and girls and with input from service providers. It was also designed as a learning exercise, so that barriers to accessing SRH provision can be mitigated during future public health emergencies and that SRH services are prioritized for emergency preparedness. .