Minister rallies monarchs against sexual, gender-based violence 

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has told traditional rulers that they are the first line of defence for victims of sexual and gender based violence.

She charged them to take firmer leadership in the national battle against SGBV. 

The minister spoke in Abuja at the National Convening of Traditional Leaders on GBV Prevention and Experience Sharing.

It was held as part of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, according to a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jonathan Eze, described the presence of the royal fathers as momentous at a time that demands clarity, courage, and resilience.

Addressing monarchs, elders, cultural custodians, civil society partners and advocates, she painted a stark picture of Nigeria’s GBV crisis. 

The minister said current national data shows that one in every three Nigerian women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime, with 70 percent of cases occurring in homes and often perpetrated by intimate partners or trusted persons.

“We remember the lives lost. We honour survivors. And we reaffirm our commitment to a Nigeria where every woman and girl can live free from fear,” she said.

The minister highlighted major national gains, including the domestication of the Child Rights Act in all 36 states and the FCT and the VAPP Act in 35 states and the FCT, describing them as powerful legal shields. 

However, she warned that laws alone cannot eliminate violence if they are not integrated into cultural norms and community practices.

“For legal frameworks to translate into protection, they must be embedded within our cultural norms,” she said. 

“This is why your leadership as traditional rulers is indispensable.”

She announced the launch of a National Audit on Women’s Inclusion in Traditional Governance, which will map women’s representation, spotlight gender-inclusive communities, and identify areas needing urgent reform. 

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According to her, “No nation can sustainably reduce gender-based violence when women are excluded from leadership.”

Sulaiman-Ibrahim also backed ongoing demands for Special Parliamentary Seats for Nigerian women, arguing that their presence in parliament, just like in traditional councils, strengthens policies and programmes targeting the needs of women and girls.

Aligning the GBV campaign with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, she said family stability remains central to national development. 

She listed transformational programmes already benefitting women nationwide, including the Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) targeting 10 million women, the Solar Home Lighting Programme for 500,000 women, and the national shift to Clean Cooking, which protects over 98,000 women and children annually from harmful fumes and fire hazards.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that these interventions will penetrate deeper into communities through stronger collaboration with traditional institutions.

The minister further noted that Nigeria is set to launch the 3rd National Action Plan (NAP III) on UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which recognises traditional rulers as frontline custodians in preventing conflicts, harmful practices, and violence.

“You are the moral compass of our nation, the guardians of cultural identity, and the first line of defence for the vulnerable,” she said. 

“Nigeria cannot defeat gender-based violence without you.”

She urged monarchs to extend GBV advocacy beyond Abuja into palaces, councils, cultural gatherings and community dialogues, adding that zero tolerance must become a cultural standard.

As the world marks the 16 Days of Activism, the Minister said the convening must fuel a sustained movement for accountability, protection and dignity. 

“May our actions reflect the Nigeria we aspire to build: a nation where culture protects, not harms; where leadership uplifts, not oppresses; and where every woman and girl can live free from violence,” she concluded.

The event brought together traditional leaders from kingdoms, emirates, chiefdoms, stools and councils across Nigeria, each sharing experiences and strategies aimed at building safer, more inclusive communities.