Key speakers at a consultative forum that took place in Abuja on Thursday, December 11, 2025, have called for more defined roles for traditional and religious leaders for towards eradication of all harmful practices against women in Nigeria.

The event was organized by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and the Legal Defence and Advocacy Project, LEDAP with support from Ford Foundation.

Themed- “Empowering Traditional Rulers in Nigeria to Adopt and Implement Community Guidelines for Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Against Women,” the forum was attended by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), NAPTIP, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, FOMWAN, Abuja Muslim Forum and others.

In his opening speech, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, listed some gender-based violence and harmful practices to include female genital mutilation, child marriage, discriminatory inheritance laws and dehumanizing widowhood rites, saying those obnoxious acts pose serious threat to Nigerian women and girls.

Ojukwu said NHRC had received over 50,000 complaints related to gender-based violence and harmful practices in 2025 alone and said traditional and religious leaders have very serious roles to play towards changing social norms while calling on them to publicly condemn harmful practices, support girls’ education and advocate rights of survivors.

The NHRC boss urged law enforcement agencies, the justice sector, and health and social services workers, to improve training, survivor-centred services, and access to justice.

Chino Obiagwu, SAN, National Coordinator of LEDAP, outlined the project re-echoed the theme of the gathering and hammered on the critical role of traditional and religious leaders in influencing community norms and promoting women’s rights.

In her goodwill message, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, who was represented by the Director Legal, in the Ministry, Sweet Adesuwa Okundaiye, commended Dr. Tony Ojukwu and the management of NHRC for “consistently creating platforms for dialogue, accountability, and collective action in advancing the rights of women and girls in Nigeria.”

The Minister said the conversation came right on time- hours after the conclusion of the 2025 International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence; an annual global movement that underscores the urgency of dismantling all forms of violence and discrimination, adding that the forum provides the perfect opportunity to consolidate the momentum generated, transition from awareness to action, and interrogate the deeper social norms that sustain harmful practices.

“As a nation, we celebrate the richness of our cultural and religious diversity. Yet, we must also confront the reality that certain long-standing practices; however deeply rooted, now conflict with our constitutional values, our national aspirations, and our commitments under international and regional human rights instruments. “Addressing these contradictions is essential for justice, equity, and national development.

“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, our government is committed to building a Nigeria where every woman and girl can live free from fear, discrimination, and harmful practices. This commitment drives every programme and reform at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

“Harmful traditional and religious practices—including early and forced marriage, denial of inheritance rights, female genital mutilation, dehumanising widowhood rites, and child socialisation practices that compromise the rights and wellbeing of children—continue to impede social progress. “These practices not only violate fundamental human rights, they limit productivity, weaken family structures, and undermine Nigeria’s socio-economic potential,” the Minister stated.

She also enumerated efforts of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the advocacy for gender equity and end to discrimination, saying their approach is anchored on community engagement, evidence-based advocacy, and sustained social mobilisation.

“Through our nationwide efforts, we continue to sensitize communities on the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, ensuring that families understand their provisions, protections, and responsibilities. At the same time, we are working closely with the Federal Ministry of Justice and other critical stakeholders to review and strengthen these laws to reflect emerging realities and ensure their effective implementation across the country.

“However, beyond laws and policies, we must ask ourselves some difficult questions that expose the contradictions in certain cultural practices: How is it that in modern Nigeria, in some communities, a man rarely “dies a natural death,” even when medical evidence shows he died from illnesses such as AIDS? Why is a newly widowed man quickly encouraged to seek another intimate partner, supposedly to protect him from his late wife’s spirit; while her body still lies cold in the morgue? Why should a widow be compelled to drink the water used to bathe her husband’s corpse to prove her innocence? Why should a growing child be denied nutritious foods like eggs simply to prevent the child from “stealing”?

“These endless questions demand introspection. They compel us to confront practices that clearly have no place in a just and progressive society,” she said and revealed that only 57% of women aged 15–49 is literate, compared to 72% of men, therefore emphacised the need to bring traditional rulers on board, every effort at breaching the gaps.

“This is why traditional rulers must remain at the centre of national reform efforts. They shape values, influence norms, and guide the moral compass of communities. We must also recognise that women themselves, often out of economic necessity or social pressure, contribute to sustaining certain harmful practices,” the Minister stated.

Professor Joy Ezeilo, Executive Director of Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and former UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons who delivered the keynote on the legal framework and ongoing efforts to combat gender-based violence in Nigeria, highlighted harmful socio-cultural norms that persist despite existing laws.

In his speech, His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, stressed the importance of engaging religious leaders in efforts to eliminate harmful practices. The Sultan’s message was read by Dr. Aminu Hayatu.

Highlights of the event was interactive discussions and breakout sessions aimed at developing community-sensitive strategies to prevent harmful practices, ensure protection for survivors, and promote accountability.