Jos – The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, SFPD has taken the advocacy for a sexual and gender-based violence-free society to communities in the Kanam local government area of Plateau State where stakeholders were urged to change the social norms that encourage violence against women and girls.

The Foundation in collaboration with the UN Women Leadership, Access, Empowerment, and Protection, LEAP Project 2024, held the event in line with the 2024 16 Days of Activism tagged “Unite to End Violence Against Women and Girls.”

The Senior Programme Manager with the SFPD, Haruna Aliyu, explained to the participants of the one-day event that the sensitization to communities on ending violence against women and girls was necessary to curb the scourge of the menace in society.

He said, “The foundation is working with the United Nations Women to implement the LEAP project, which focuses on mobilizing faith and cultural leaders to end gender-based violence by advancing advocacy policy and social norms.

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“We have secured the commitment of the traditional leaders to cascade the message down to the District level, from the district level to the Village level, and then to the Ward level to the grassroots. They have made commitments to make their doors open to their people to lodge complaints, and then they will do their best to ensure that issues around gender-based violence and harmful practices in their respective communities are eradicated.

The Deputy Chairman of the Kanam local government area, Aliyu Aliyu stated, “Lots of steps have been taken by the political leaders, the traditional rulers, and the religious leaders to curtail this problem, but with this orientation and sensitization you have afforded to us here, it will encourage us to do more.”

Also, the Emir of Kanam, HRH Muhammadu Muazu commended the Foundation for the sensitization to drive the process of eliminating SGBV in communities and stressed the need for everyone to work together to stamp out SGBV.

The project, funded by the Ford Foundation, is being implemented in Sokoto, Taraba, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, to bring together faith and cultural leaders, civil society organizations, and government officials to engage in meaningful dialogues on their pivotal roles in ending violence against women and girls within their communities.

Stakeholders including the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, representatives of the traditional rulers, women, and youths’ groups, and traditional birth attendants, among others, gave their thoughts on the issues discussed as the Programme Officer of SFPD, Ruth Abwo spoke on understanding the gender-based violence concept, and its harmful effects on communities, and the Emir of Kanam led the resolutions and way forward.