GBV will drastically reduce by engaging with traditional and religious leaders- DameTallen

Oru Leonard

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline K. Tallen has expressed confidence that Gender Based Violence (GBV), will be drastically reduced going by the high-level engagement with traditional and religious leaders by the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development.

Tallen said this while speaking at a 2-Day Summit which held at Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja on Tuesday, 7th and Wednesday, 8th September, 2021,

Tallen who has described Gender Based Violence (GBV) as worse than the COVID 19 pandemic commended Mr. President and Vice President for openly supporting the struggle against GBV describing the theme of the Summit which is “Moving from Awareness to Action”, as apt.

She admonished the traditional and religious leaders to ensure that the Child Right Act is domesticated in the 10 remaining States, particularly in the North and thanked His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad, the Sultan of Sokoto and the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, the Development partners such as UNFPA, UN and EU e.t.c for taking the initiative to get the traditional and religious leaders of the North on board the fight against GBV and for the initiative.

Dame Pauline Tallen further openly declared her intention to rally support to honour the Sultan with the prestigious “HeForShe” award for his efforts and that of the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development at ending GBV.

His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad, the Sultan of Sokoto who doubles as Chairman of the Summit charged traditional rulers and religious leaders of the North to among other things, set the rules to ensure that the girl-child is safe and secured in their communities; strengthen alliances and networks; identify champions among themselves to encourage and influence people in their communities.

Describing the summit as the 2nd high-level Summit since the inception of the Foundation in 2014, the Sultan remarked that as leaders, the strategic role of traditional rulers as custodians of customs and values places a demand on them to agree on innovative roles to be employed through the summit to end all forms of harmful practices associated with GBV.

His Eminence commended the role played by traditional and religious leaders at ending polio in Nigeria while alluding that in spite of Government’s efforts, GBV continues to increase.

The Sultan went further to say that violence against the male-child too should be looked into. He advised that Government at all levels should adopt the Violence Against Persons Act (VAPPA) and the Child Rights Act. He also advised that Governments should establish and fund at least one gender-based violence resettlement centre in each of the geo-political zones. He promised that the resolution reached at the end of the Summit will be implemented.

The Deputy Secretary General, United Nations, Amina Muhammed stated that one in three women experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. She explained gender-based violence to include early marriage, forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM) and other forms of violence which she said, “was heightened by the COVID 19 pandemic.”

Muhammed assured the participants of the continued support of the UN and called on all traditional and religious leaders to condemn practices that do not give equal rights to women. She encouraged them to lend their voice to the fight against GBV in their spheres of influence.

The UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ulla Elisbeth Muella in her goodwill message stated that half of women in northern Nigeria married at age 16 through forced or early marriage and 60% of deliveries are done at home. She identified lack of access to contraceptives and said “these are all factors pointing to GBV.”

Muella expressed delight that culture and religion are powerful influences and charged religious and traditional leaders to utilise their position to achieve zero harmful practices leading to GBV. She further stressed the need to include women and girls in decisions that pertain to their bodies and the need to educate the girl-child, affirming that UNFPA is committed to strengthening partnership at eliminating GBV.

The Chairperson, Northern Governors Wives Forum (a pressure group), Arc. Hadiza Isma El-rufai appealed to religious leaders and traditional rulers to balance their message to their subjects that “when asking that women should be modest in their dressing, the men should be enjoined to lower their gaze”. She advocated women who suffered violence should be supported to get justice so as to deter perpetrators of GBV.

She informed the summit that Northern Governors’ wives forum have championed the setting up of shelters for GBV in States.
The 2-Day event is expected to end by charting a course of action through resolutions, and compact commitment by all leaders.

(MWA Media)