Faith Leaders Back VAPP Implementation in Katsina

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Faith leaders in Katsina State have pledged their support for the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, as part of efforts to tackle the prevailing cases of gender-based violence and protect vulnerable groups in the state.

The commitment was made during an advocacy and capacity-building workshop that brought together religious leaders and women representatives to strengthen awareness and promote community-level action on the law.

Organised by Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), the workshop equipped the participants with advocacy and peer education skills to strengthen grassroots efforts aimed at combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and improving access to survivor support services.

With funding from Women Aid Collective (WACOL), the training is being conducted through the organisation’s Empowering Christian Women and Leaders of Culture for Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria project.

Declaring the one-day training open, the Executive Director of Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), Dr. Lydia Umar, said it was designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and leadership capacity of participants to address gender-based violence within their communities.

She noted that the overall objective of the training was to strengthen the capacity of leaders to conduct effective advocacy, implement peer education initiatives, and coordinate strategic advocacy visits that would support enforcement of the VAPP Act at community and local government levels.

Umar, represented by the Project Officer, Rebecca James Bilai, said the participants were guided to build knowledge on advocacy principles, peer education roles, and community change processes.

She said the participants were also trained on designing and delivering awareness campaigns and engagement activities tailored toward their local contexts, focusing on strengthening community organising skills.

Participants were equipped with tools for stakeholders’ mapping, coalition building, and community mobilisation to promote collaboration among local actors in the fight against GBV.

“The workshop also enhanced participants’ understanding of the provisions of the VAPP Act and its relevance at community and LGA levels,” she added.

She stated that discussions during the meeting were centred on identifying advocacy priorities and opportunities to promote enforcement, accountability, and improved access to justice for survivors.

To ensure practical impact, she said, attendees were supported to develop community-specific advocacy action plans with clear goals, defined roles, and timelines.

“They were encouraged to plan and coordinate strategic visits to traditional, religious, and local government stakeholders, with clearly articulated messages and expected outcomes,” she said.

She further noted that the training promotes sustainable community action by encouraging participants to commit to implementing agreed advocacy activities and strengthening collaboration beyond the workshop.

She expressed optimism that the training would lay a solid foundation for continued advocacy efforts and the establishment of community-level survivor support services across the state.

Participants, in their responses, pledged to step up awareness campaigns and work closely with relevant authorities and community leaders to curb GBV and ensure that the provisions of the VAPP Act are effectively implemented at the grassroots.