Ozoro: The Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI) has called for an urgent national audit of traditional and cultural practices following disturbing reports from the Ozoro Festival in Delta. The organisation said recent incidents linked to the festival had triggered broader reflection on cultural norms that may enable gender-based violations.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Team Lead of GMI, Omowunmi Ogunrotimi, stated in a recent communication that the situation underscored the urgent need to interrogate cultural norms that enable harm. GMI emphasized that the development required more than public outrage over circulating videos, urging a critical examination of underlying cultural frameworks.
The organisation pointed out that emerging accounts and longstanding narratives around the festival suggested practices that single out and publicly shame women, especially those perceived as infertile. Such practices include acts like pouring sand on affected women, which GMI described as demeaning and inconsistent with human dignity, regardless of cultural or ritual context.
The organisation stated, “We cannot continue to excuse harmful practices under the guise of culture. Where traditions promote stigma, humiliation, or violence against women, they must be questioned and reformed.” Ogunrotimi added that culture should evolve to reflect shared values of dignity, equality, and safety, stressing that preserving harmful norms perpetuates injustice.
GMI highlighted that any cultural expression built on the humiliation, control, or violation of women’s bodies raises serious human rights concerns. The group added that practices enabling harm, exclusion, or violence against women and girls, whether symbolic or physical, should not be shielded from scrutiny.
The organisation linked the reported incidents to broader societal systems that normalise the policing of women’s bodies and reinforce harmful gender norms. It noted that such concerns were not limited to Delta State but reflected wider patterns across communities where traditions undermine the rights of women and girls.
In response, GMI called for a comprehensive cultural practices audit to identify and address harmful and discriminatory elements. The audit should examine traditions that perpetuate stigma, especially against women and girls, while engaging community leaders and cultural custodians in reform efforts. GMI also emphasised the need to prioritise dignity, safety, and equality in preserving culture.
The organisation maintained that cultural evolution was necessary, noting that not all traditions were worth preserving if they perpetuate harm. It reiterated its commitment to promoting a society where culture uplifts and protects all individuals.
In recent years, aspects of the Ozoro Festival, a long-standing cultural event among the Isoko people of Delta, have come under criticism over practices perceived to reinforce stigma and gender-based discrimination.