Traditional Leaders Restate Commitment To End Violence Against Women, Girls

The traditional leaders under the umbrella of Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa(COTLA) have restated their commitment to end violence against women and girls in Nigeria.

The traditional leaders restated this in Abuja during the media dialogue by the COTLA to mark 16 Days of Activitism Against Gender Based Violence(GBV), organised UN Women, with support from Ford Foundation.

In his opening remarks, the Convener General of COTLA, HRM (Arc.) King Adedapo Aderemi, commended the efforts of UN Women over the years in championing the cause of women and girls.

He reiterated the commitment of COTLA to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria.

His Royal Highness, Dr. Haliru Yahaya Ndanusa, the Emir of Shonga and Deputy Convener-General of COTLA, said traditional leaders have introduced various initiatives to address harmful cultural practices and negative gender norms against women and girls in Nigeria.

Ndanusa explained that Islamic religion makes it clear that the rights of women to own property must be protected.

He noted that some of the myths and negative gender norms are based on patriarchy.

While sharing his success stories, Dr. Usman Ngakupi, Sapeyi of Garki, in the Federal Capital Territory, who decried the rate of prostitution among girls, said he had embarked on providing proper counselling to them.

He added that some of these girls who engaged in prostitution have changed their attitude through proper counselling.

He further pointed out that he had initiated a move that has made it compulsory for women and girls in his domain to attend school.

In his submission, Eze(Dr.) Onyibe Cosmos, the Enechi Ekuma IV Okposi Kingdom in Ohaozara, Ebonyi State, said his kingdom had introduced a law that gives women the right to share in their fathers’ properties.

Cosmos said physical violence against women and girls attracts the fine of N50,000 in his kingdom, adding that women have been given the membership of the town union, where critical decisions are made.

He revealed that his kingdom had put a stop to female genital mutilation in Okposi communities, adding that many initiatives have been introduced to empower women.

In her remarks, Ms. Funke Baruwa,
Programme Officer, Ford Foundation, pointed out that traditional leaders have deep knowledge and experiences in their respective domains to promote an understanding of customs and beliefs denouncing GBV.

She noted that campaigns have been intensified against sexual gender based violence, female genital mutilation, early child marriage, rape, adding that traditional leaders occupy pivotal position in preventing and responding to gender-based violence(GBV).

Earlier, in her welcome remarks, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, commended the traditional leaders for their commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

Eyong added that working with traditional leaders in Nigeria was crucial to ending violence against women and girls as well as promoting women’s empowerment.

He urged the royal fathers to share what they are doing in their communities to advance the fight against gender based violence in their various communities.

It would be recalled that the Council of Traditional Leaders of Africa (COTLA), was established in 2018.

The COTLA membership in Nigeria, through the support of UN Women, has developed a work plan to support engagement in ending GBV.