By: Madu Barth, Port Harcourt.
As the issue of Gender Based Violence continues to dominate discussion in the Niger Delta and beyond,Comrade Monday Osasah, he Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (CLSD) and the Traditional Ruler of Rumuevuorlu Community , in Obio/Akpor Local Government Council , Prof. Christian Akani have condemned the rate of Gender Based Violence in the
region.
The group made the remark over the weekend at the Palace of the traditional ruler, in Port Harcourt during an advocacy visit by the Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) on Male Feminist Network (MFN) project, to strengthen the role of Traditional Institution in preventing Gender- Based Violence (GBV) and promoting positive social norms that advance gender equality and community well-being.
In his Opening Remarks , the Executive Director of African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development ( CLSD), Comrade Monday Osasah explained that the issue of Gender Based Violence is critical to the peace, stability, development and wellbeing of our communities,as well as the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and the promotion of gender justice, saying that CLSD is implementing the Male Feminists Network (MFN) Project with support from the Ford Foundation.
According to the Executive Director, the project seeks to mobilize men across Nigeria to become active allies in ending violence against women and girls, promoting positive masculinity, supporting women’s rights, and transforming harmful social norms that perpetuate inequality and violence.
“We recognize that traditional institutions remain among the most influential and respected institutions in our society. Traditional rulers are custodians of culture, guardians of community values and key opinion leaders whose voices shape attitudes, behaviours, and social norms, ” he said.
He maintained that to address harmful practices and prevent violence against women and girls requires the active partnership and leadership of traditional rulers, noting that across Nigeria and Niger Delta in particular many women and girls continue to experience different forms of, discrimination and exclusion, such as harmful cultural practices, unequal power relations, and harmful notions of
masculinity,which he said as continued to undermine the dignity and potential of women and girls, while these harmful norms also negatively affect men and boys by promoting violence, emotional suppression and unhealthy expressions of manhood.
Explaining further, he stated that the Male Feminists Network is founded on the belief that men must become part of the solution as gender equality is not a women’s issue alone, rather it is a community, development and justice issue, hence the need for partnership .
The NGO tasks the Paramount Ruler to publicly champion the prevention of Gender-Based Violence, by using traditional platforms, community meetings, and cultural events to condemn all forms of violence against women and girls, as well as promote positive cultural values that uphold the dignity, safety and rights of women and girls, while discouraging harmful practices that perpetuate discrimination and violence.
Some of other key demands of the NGO include, the support of development and adoption of Community Charters of Commitment on Gender Justice and GBV Prevention within his kingdom and communities and to collaborate with CLSD and the Male Feminists Network in organizing community dialogues and awareness campaigns on the issues that promote positive masculinity, responsible fatherhood, peaceful families, and mutual respect and to nominate Gender Justice Champions who will model and advocate for equitable and non-violent community norms,as well as support girl’s education and the appointment of women into the Council of Chiefs.
In his lecture titled, ‘The role of traditional rulers in preventing Gender-Based Violence ( GBV) in Nigeria: Focus on Rivers State’ by the Founder of African Centre for Leadership , Strategy and Development (CLSD), Dr. Otive Igbuzor highlighted numerous Gender-Based Violence as defined by the United Nations, which includes domestic violence, intimate partner violence, rape, sexual assaults, child
marriage, female genital mutilation, emotional and psychological abuse.
Others are economic violence, harmful widowhood practices, human trafficking, sexual harassment and political violence against women,among others.
Dr. Igbuzor stated that patriarchal norms often legitimise violence against women , restrict women participation in leadership, encourage male dominance and promote harmful masculinity, to mention but a few, noting that survivors should speak out saying that most of these norms are perpetrated through culture, religion, family system and community practices as positive role models.
Some of his recommendations are increase funding for survivor support services, building capacity, strengthening the implementation of VAPP Act.
