- 34 Democracy crescent, Gaduwa Estate
- inf0@dnf.org.ng
- 24/7 +2347013333307
The Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF) is Nigeria’s leading survivor-run, feminist, non- profit organisation providing real-time, survivor-centred responses to sexual and gender- based violence (SGBV) while working to prevent violence through community norm change, policy advocacy, and feminist storytelling.
Since 2012, DNF has directly supported over 8,000 survivors of SGBV, including women and their children, girls, boys, and men, through integrated services spanning crisis response, shelter, medical care, legal support, psychosocial care, and economic empowerment.
DNF operates Nigeria’s first 24/7 dedicated Survivor Support Centre (SSC) in Abuja, and a Crisis and Transitional Shelter that provides safety and dignity to survivors at immediate risk.
DNF’s work is grounded in the belief that “nothing about us without us” and that survivors should not be recipients of tokenistic aid, but rights-holders and agents of change across all systems that impact the economy. Our unique perspective allows us to understand the complexities of recovery and create interventions that genuinely support healing and empowerment while addressing the structural, cultural, and institutional drivers of violence.
The “Dorothy Njemanze & three others vs the Federal Republic of Nigeria” lawsuit sparked the #AbujaRaids protest. The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), in collaboration with other law enforcement entities, systematically and unlawfully detained numerous women and girls during nighttime hours, arbitrarily labeling them as sex workers. Women found outside their residences at night were subjected to physical assault, violent threats, potential gunfire if resistant, verbal abuse, and abduction by these government agencies.
Many detainees in holding facilities faced threats of beating, harassment, and sexual violence, including rape. The court’s decision marked the first ruling invoking the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on Women’s Rights in Africa (Maputo Protocol). The verdict found the Nigerian government in violation of human rights.
Since its establishment in 2011, the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF) has been a vocal advocate for various causes, working to advance the rights and welfare of women, girls, youth, and individuals with disabilities.
The Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF) was founded in 2011 and registered on July 23, 2012. It was born out of the desire of a mistreated woman determined to fight against the brazen violence perpetrated against women by state and non-state actors in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. DNF’s advocacy work mainly targets combating state-funded and normative violence against women and girls in Abuja. This has yielded a landmark judgment at ECOWAS Court of Justice.
