Abuja: Nearly every country in Africa now has laws prohibiting violence against women and girls, thanks to the relentless efforts of feminist campaigners who have pushed governments to take action and remain accountable.
According to Ghana News Agency, these advocates have brought gender-based violence (GBV) to the forefront in West Africa, urging that rape be treated as a national emergency and developing strategies to protect women and girls, including in digital platforms.
Despite these advancements, one in three women and girls globally still faces physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, with a woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes by an intimate partner or close relative. This troubling statistic is partly due to the meager investment in prevention, with only 0.2 percent of global development assistance directed towards GBV prevention. Beyond funding, a key oversight has been the underutilization of faith and traditional leaders as influential agents of social change.
In societies where culture, tradition, and religion significantly influence daily life, patriarchal norms often justify and normalize abuse, perpetuating cycles of violence. Engaging faith and traditional leaders, who are regarded as cultural custodians with deep moral authority, is crucial in dismantling these harmful norms. In February, over 100 leaders from 23 African countries will gather in Nigeria to discuss their critical role in preventing GBV, signaling a growing willingness to leverage their influence for the safety of women and girls.
In Nigeria, where faith plays a pivotal role, initiatives like the Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative have trained clergy and community members on GBV prevention, leading to significant policy shifts within religious institutions. This includes the Anglican Church's decision to incorporate GBV prevention in premarital counseling, marking a vital step towards sustainable change.
Donors and communities must also shift their focus from solely response-based interventions to prevention-centered approaches that address the root causes of violence. Collaborations with faith and traditional leaders have shown promise in protecting the rights of vulnerable groups like widows, who often face economic insecurity and stigma.
Efforts by organizations such as Lux Terra Leadership Foundation have led to changes in community guidelines and increased support for widows, linking economic security with reduced vulnerability to violence. However, progress is not linear, and resistance is expected as religious and cultural beliefs are deeply ingrained.
In northern Nigeria, the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) works with Muslim leaders to promote women's rights within Islamic teachings. Despite community resistance, there have been notable shifts in perception regarding GBV, demonstrating the potential impact of structured capacity-building and dialogue.
As the upcoming continental convening approaches, it is crucial to continue fostering collaboration with faith and traditional leaders, integrating prevention with survivor response and care, and maintaining the leadership of feminist movements to ensure accountability. Encouraging signs of cultural transformation are emerging, with increased opposition to practices like female genital mutilation and declining prevalence rates, underscoring the transformative power of local leadership.
On the eve of this historic gathering, stakeholders are called to scale up efforts that harness the influence of faith and traditional leaders to prevent violence from occurring in the first place.