Abuja: UN Women has called upon traditional rulers across Nigeria to step up their efforts in addressing Gender-Based Violence, with a specific focus on tackling the growing issue of technology-facilitated abuses that pose significant threats to women and girls in digital spaces and communities nationwide.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the appeal was made during the National Convening of Traditional Leaders on GBV Prevention held in Abuja. This event is part of the global activities marking the 2025 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Beatrice Eyong, the UN Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, cautioned that the nature of violence against women is rapidly changing, with digital platforms becoming new channels for harassment, exploitation, and intimidation, leading to more complex challenges.
Eyong, represented by Deputy Country Representative Patience Ekeoba, emphasized the critical role of traditional rulers as cultural and authoritative figures who can drive significant reforms, enhance accountability, and lead community-based initiatives to combat Gender-Based Violence. She lauded the Minister of Women Affairs and the Federal Capital Territory Administration for their leadership in gender equality endeavors, recognizing their ongoing support for initiatives that promote women’s rights and bolster institutional protection mechanisms.
She referenced national surveys that indicate, despite some progress, harmful cultural practices and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse still impact millions of Nigerian women. This highlights the necessity for sustained and coordinated national prevention efforts. According to her, there is an urgent need for stronger enforcement mechanisms and coordinated community action to protect survivors, deter perpetrators, and reinforce collective responsibility in preventing violence against women and girls across Nigeria’s communities.
She pointed out advancements in regions like Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Enugu, and Cross River, where traditional leaders, supported by government and development partners, have abolished child marriage, widowhood rites, and female genital mutilation, demonstrating significant cultural transformation. She explained that these examples illustrate how cultural transformation is achievable when tradition aligns with justice and dignity, enabling communities to replace harmful practices with positive norms that effectively protect women and girls.
Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Women Affairs Secretariat, stated that the convening offers a vital platform to redefine GBV at cultural, traditional, and institutional levels while strengthening prevention systems and improving accountability. She described traditional leaders as transformers and cultural gatekeepers whose influence can reshape norms, bolster family values, challenge the harmful silence that protects perpetrators, and drive behavioral change supporting women’s safety and community wellbeing.
Benjamins-Laniyi stressed that safeguarding women and girls requires a united response rooted in community accountability, shared responsibility, and cooperative engagement aimed at preventing violence and ensuring survivors receive timely, compassionate, and comprehensive support. She reaffirmed the FCTA’s dedication to maintaining partnerships that prevent violence, support survivors, and advance the Humanity Project, a new legacy framework designed to enhance social justice, community protection, and collective wellbeing across the territory.
Alhaji Haliru Yahaya-Ndanusa, Convener-General of COTLA, reiterated the commitment of traditional rulers to ending practices that inflict physical, emotional, or digital harm, emphasizing that palaces could also serve as protective safe havens for vulnerable girls.