Various groups in Jigawa State have voiced deep concern about the increase in gender-based violence, calling it a serious danger to the wellbeing, dignity, and safety of women and girls.
This worry was expressed at a gathering of stakeholders held on Wednesday in Dutse. The event was organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), collaborating with the Male Feminist Network (MFN) project, and supported by the Ford Foundation through the Centre for Leadership, Strategy, and Development (Centre-LSD).
The groups identified illiteracy and poverty as some of the contributing factors to the issue. They attributed two-thirds of the violence to men, citing their neglect of core responsibilities which leads to continuous harm to the victims.
The stakeholders stressed the importance of pre-marital counseling for men to ensure they fully grasp their duties as husbands, noting that this could significantly cut down on the violence, much of which arises from family breakdowns and divorce.
They pointed out that both Islam and Christianity offer complete protection and cover for women and children, who are the primary victims of this violence. They called for Imams and pastors to start including the topic of gender-based violence in their sermons and services so that men, who are the main offenders, can be better informed about the religious stance on the issue.
Furthermore, they urged the state government to ensure the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act is implemented to eliminate violence in both public and private settings.
In his welcome speech, Muhammad Sani Sa’idu, the MFN Project Officer, introduced the theme of the meeting as “men as protectors not perpetrators: promoting faith, culture and justice to end gender based violence.” He lamented the fact that men, who are meant to be the protectors of women against Gender-Based Violence, are now the ones committing it.
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