Sultan foundation holds roundtable on gender violence in FCT

The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development (SFPD) has held a day roundtable with traditional rulers and religious leaders on ending Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women in the FCT.

The meeting was held in Abuja on Wednesday with the theme: “GBV Leveraging the Structural Influence and Network of Faith and Cultural Leaders to Promote Gender-Equitable Social Norms, Attitudes and Behavioural Changes at Community to End Violence against Women and Girls and Harmful Practices”.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, SFPD’s Director of Programmes, Mohammed Aminu Inuwa, said the foundation was working with the UN Women to support the rights of women all over the world.

He also said the Leaders for Ending GBV by Advancing Advocacy Policy (LEAP) project was working with traditional leaders to prevent GBV in the rural communities of the FCT and Nigeria at large.

He said the foundation was conducting the project across states of Northern Nigeria which included Taraba, Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, Borno and the FCT.

He noted that the meeting involved traditional rulers from Jiwa, Bwari and Abaji; FOMWAN; religious leaders in the FCT, among other religious bodies.

Also speaking, Rev Issac Komolafe, the Deputy Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the FCT, noted that gender violence against women came in different ways; either physical or emotional.

He said most victims were always women and girls, noting that religious leaders had a role to play by going back to their congregations and sensitising them on the dangers of gender violence.

The Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Salihu Kakamba, said one of the ways to address gender violence against women was sincerity of purpose among couples.