The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has urged religious leaders nationwide to end the misuse of religion to justify Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
It said that distorted interpretations of sacred texts often fuelled women’s subordination and abuse. FIDA’s Country Vice President, Eliana Martins, made the appeal yesterday in Lagos, during the second yearly dialogue for religious leaders on GBV prevention, themed: “Strengthening Religious Institutions in Preventing GBV.”
Martins said the dialogue, supported by the Ford Foundation, formed part of the project titled: ‘Engagement, Coordination and Sharing of Lessons on GBV Prevention between Religious, Traditional and Government Leaders in Nigeria.’
She noted that religion, when wrongly interpreted, had often been used as a tool for oppression, reinforcing patriarchal dominance and normalising violence in many homes. According to her, certain religious texts that emphasise men’s “headship” are frequently used to justify violence against women.
“Some men abuse religious doctrines to rationalise control and aggression in intimate relationships. The insistence on women’s subordination on the basis of religious ideology fuels violence and sustains patriarchal control over women and girls.
“Such subordination, reinforced through cultural and religious socialisation, had made many women believe that gender inequality was natural and divinely ordered, making them resistant to change,” she said.
Martins said that the dialogue aimed to create a platform for faith leaders to exchange ideas, address misconceptions, and commit to collective action against GBV.
Also speaking, Head of the Islamic Studies Department at Moricas University College, Imam Abdulganiu Raji, said Islam holds women in high esteem and does not support any form of gender-based violence or injustice.
Raji, who is also the Secretary of the Mission Board of NASFAT Worldwide, stated that the dialogue provided an opportunity to strengthen collective efforts towards ending GBV.
According to him, many harmful cultural practices are wrongly attributed to religion, adding that superiority in Islam is not based on gender but on knowledge and piety.
Similarly, Rev. Marcel Onwuka attributed the rising cases of GBV in Nigeria to ignorance, negative mindsets, and rigid cultural beliefs, saying that many harmful practices persist because people fail to understand their consequences. He, however, condemned the cultural practices that promote inequality between men and women, noting that such beliefs contradict God’s word.
However, the Chairperson of FIDA, Ikeja branch, Nnenna Eze, spoke on the controversial issue surrounding the alleged early marriage of Nigerian actress, Regina Daniels, to Senator Ned Nwoko, saying the case highlighted the dangers of marrying off young girls for economic reasons.
She recalled her personal experience of how she narrowly escaped being forced into marriage at 15, saying: “My dowry was already paid in my village, but luckily, my father intervened and stopped it. I could have been a victim, and that is why I am passionate about this advocacy.”
Eze, therefore, urged religious and community leaders to use their influence to discourage early and forced marriages, stressing that ignorance remained a major challenge.
