Traditional, Religious Leaders Urged to Expose Actors of Violence Against Women, Girls

James Sowole in Abeokuta

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN), has charged community leaders, religious and traditional rulers not to harbour or shield any person perpetrating acts of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) from facing justice.

The NGO lamented that compromising or shielding criminals from justice by stakeholders in the name of religion and communal relationship is part of factors responsible for increase in crime rate.

The organisation said law should be allowed to take its course against perpetrators of crimes such as rape, physical attacks and other violence against women.

CEWHIN reiterated its charges to stakeholders to brace up for action against VAWG at a Two-day Capacity Building Workshop for Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders that were selected from Osun and Ogun states.

The workshop held at the Green Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, Ogun State, featured lectures and discussions on traditional and religious  practices that constitute and promote VAWG.

The workshop was organised under the CEWHIN’s Partnership for Enhanced VAWG Prevention Among Traditional and Religious Stakeholders in the two states and was organised with support from Ford Foundation.

While day-one of the workshop involved participants who were Christian and Islamic clerics, day-two of the event featured select traditional rulers and market leaders from Osun and Ogun states.

In an overview of the workshop, the Osun State Coordinator of Inter-African Committee (IAC) Nigeria on Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting Women Children, Mrs. Aduke Obelawo, highlighted enablers of VAWG including harmful practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and how to prevent them.

She said during counselling for marriage, religious leaders should bring both the boy and the girl together and advise on how to build their homes and not concentrating on only the lady.

The facilitator also advised that stereotypes that promote discrimination against women and girl-child should be jettisoned by religious and traditional stakeholders.

The IAC coordinator said religious leaders should not use faith to subject women to any form of violence and discriminatory practices.

She also advised that parents should expose both their male and female children to the same parental care and be given equal opportunities in the scheme of things including, educational opportunities.