iMMAP Facilitates the Use of Free Platforms to Map Women and Youth Friendly Spaces in Nigeria



While access continues to improve because of the military campaign in north eastern Nigeria, the humanitarian crisis remains one of the most severe in the world. Protection of children, women, girls and youth and the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence remain very important issues—and are at the forefront of the response efforts.

iMMAP, through its Information Management Officers deployed to the Gender-based Violence (GBV) sub-sector sourced and utilized a cost-free online geographical information system and mapping platform called Easy Map Maker to spatially map out the presence, location and functionality of women, girls and youth-friendly spaces to provide a readily accessible reference tool providing the much-needed information on the availability and functionality of such facilities. The system facilitates geospatial data analysis, based on routine data collected using a template to track the status of existing and planned women, girl and youth facilities.

By the end of November 2017, the iMMAP IMOs seconded to the GBV sub-sector collected information on 117 friendly spaces from nine implementing partners operating in the three north eastern Nigeria states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa that are most affected by the ongoing crisis. The data was mapped using the online platform called EeasyMapMaker.com and shared with the reference link with all the partners responding through the sub-sector. The IMOs also mapped all safe spaces implemented and planned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the GBV sub-sector lead in Nigeria, in four north eastern Nigeria states.

Since 2016, iMMAP has been proving support to protection response activities targeting children, women, girls and the youth in north eastern Nigeria through the deployment of information management expertise to the Child Protection and Gender-based Violence sub-sectors, and to eight other sectors in general.

With the consistent introduction of innovative information management approaches in humanitarian contexts, the iMMAP-supported humanitarian sectors continue to benefit from the regular information analysis and information management products generated in support to informed, life-saving decision making. This support is also playing a pivotal role in creating situational awareness, helping to minimize duplications of efforts and ensuring optimization of the limited resources available to support humanitarian response efforts in the north east.