Nigeria and other West African countries have renewed their commitment to ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by empowering male champions and traditional and religious leaders to transform harmful social norms and advance gender equality.
The renewed commitment was made at the close-out high-level convening of the Leadership, Engagement, Action and Prevention (LEAP) Project, a Ford Foundation-supported initiative implemented by UN Women on Monday in Abuja.
Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, said the three-year initiative had demonstrated the transformative role of traditional and religious leaders in preventing violence against women and girls.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, represented by Mrs Blessing Anunike, Director Women Development, said the project had empowered community leaders to challenge harmful social norms, strengthen accountability and promote positive masculinity.
“The role of traditional and cultural leaders is indispensable as primary mentors of positive masculinity. By redefining what it means to be a man, shifting the narrative from dominance to protection and from aggression to emotional intelligence, our leaders are raising young men to become champions of peace rather than perpetrators of violence,” she said.
According to her, the Federal Government remained committed to sustaining the gains of the LEAP Project through stronger partnerships with development partners, the private sector and international organisations.
She urged traditional institutions to deepen women’s participation in community decision-making, saying communities where women’s voices were heard were more peaceful, stable and resilient.
Ms Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said, “the project invested in prevention by engaging those who shape beliefs, influence behaviour and preserve cultural values.
“Traditional and religious leaders have become stronger advocates for the rights of women and girls, while communities have publicly rejected harmful practices and strengthened accountability mechanisms,” she said.
Eyong, represented by Mrs Patience Ekeoba, Acting Deputy Representative of UN Women Nigeria and ECOWAS, said UN Women had secured renewed funding from the Ford Foundation for the “community -led advocacy and digital spaces for the safety of women and girls in West Africa.
According to her, the initiative will be implemented in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal to address both traditional forms of GBV and emerging technology-facilitated violence against women and girls.
Eyong said findings from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey showed encouraging progress, with sexual violence declining from nine per cent in 2018 to five per cent in 2024, while physical violence reduced from 31 per cent to 19 per cent and intimate partner violence from 36 per cent to 23 per cent.
She added that female genital mutilation prevalence had also dropped from 20 per cent to 14 per cent over the same period, demonstrating that sustained investments in prevention and social norms change were yielding results.
Also, Dr Izeduwa Derex-Briggs of the Ford Foundation said lasting change could only be achieved by transforming the beliefs and behaviours that normalised violence.
She said the LEAP Project had shown that while laws and policies remained essential, harmful social norms could only be effectively addressed through trusted community leaders.
“The success of this project should be measured by whether girls grow up with greater opportunities, whether communities become safer for women and girls, and whether men and boys increasingly see themselves as partners in building a more equitable society,” she said.
Derex-Briggs reaffirmed the Ford Foundation’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote gender justice, strengthen community accountability and eliminate violence against women and girls across West Africa.
Also speaking, Dr Haliru Yahaya, Emir of Shonga and Convener-General of the Council of Traditional Leaders of Africa (COTLA), said traditional leaders remained custodians of community values, justice and peace.
He said the LEAP Project had equipped traditional institutions to drive positive social change and challenge harmful practices, including child marriage, female genital mutilation and other forms of violence against women and girls.
Similarly, the Pere of Kabowei Kingdom in Delta State, Mr Shedrack Peremobowei-Erebulu, called for stronger regional collaboration among African traditional institutions to sustain the fight against GBV.
The event featured panel discussions on sustaining GBV prevention through traditional and religious leadership, recognition of male champions and community leaders, and renewed commitments to advancing women’s rights and positive social norms across Nigeria and West Africa.
Also, notable religious and traditional leaders were conferred awards for championing GBV prevention and social norms change in Nigeria and West Africa.
(NAN)
