A faith-based organisation, Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative (ACADI), has emphasized the need for religious and faith-based organisations to champion the fight against Gender-based Violence (GBV) in the country in order to

promote safer and more inclusive communities.

The Programme Officer of ACADI, Mr Chibuike Iroegbu, who made the call at a media Round-table Discussion titled, “Dialogue to Action: Advancing GBV Prevention and Advancing Organizational Sustainability” organised by ACADI in Abuja, said that the church must confront gender-based violence within faith communities rather than allow perpetrators to hide behind religious institutions.

 

He noted that Gender-Based Violence is one of the most widespread human rights violations in Nigeria, with profound social, economic, and health consequences for individuals, families, and communities.

Iroegbu disclosed that the organisation’s research indicated that a large proportion of survivors sought refuge in churches because they believed the church was a place of protection.

 

He, however, warned that perpetrators must no longer be allowed to exploit the church as a safe haven for abuse.

 

“The church must get involved. It is a collective fight,” he said, urging every faith leader to take a stand against gender-based violence.

Iroegbu said young people were particularly important to the campaign because they constituted a significant part of Nigeria’s population and were heavily influenced by social media and peer relationships.

He stated that ACADI’s decision to engage young people was based on the need to make them active participants in preventing gender-based violence rather than merely recipients of programmes designed by adults.

 

Iroegbu also challenged the interpretation of biblical teachings on marriage and separation where violence was involved.

 

He argued that the biblical injunction that what God had joined together should not be put asunder should not be interpreted as a command for victims to remain in abusive relationships until they die.

 

According to him, temporary separation may be necessary to protect a victim while allowing the situation to be properly addressed.

 

Also speaking, a gender advocate, Mrs Suki Oretogba,urged churches and families to stop protecting perpetrators of gender-based violence and instead prioritise the safety, dignity and recovery of victims.

 

Oretogba, said the church had a critical role to play in confronting violence in families, schools, churches and the wider society.

 

She stressed that the issue of gender-based violence went beyond marriage and affected children, young people, friends and communities.

 

According to her, the church must reconsider the way it handles cases of abuse, particularly where reconciliation and forgiveness are promoted at the expense of the victim’s safety.

 

“Safety first before reconciliation,” she said, stressing that victims must first be removed from danger, cared for and made to regain confidence in their community before reconciliation could be considered.

 

She warned that placing reconciliation above safety could amount to victimising the victim while inadvertently protecting the abuser.

 

Oretogba said, “We should shift the focus to protecting the victims,” adding that perpetrators should be allowed to face the full weight of the law.

 

She said the church’s involvement in the campaign against gender-based violence was necessary because “if the members are broken, the church is broken.”

 

According to her, violence is incompatible with the Christian message of love and undermines the emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing the church seeks to promote among its members.

 

Oretogba also called for an end to the culture of silence surrounding abuse, particularly where victims are encouraged to endure violence because of cultural expectations.

 

She argued that cultural practices must evolve where they endanger people or protect perpetrators, noting that Nigeria had abandoned harmful practices in the past as society progressed.

 

“Enduring a violent situation destroys you. The earlier you speak up, the earlier you are saved,” she said.

 

She added that although women constituted a larger proportion of victims of gender-based violence, men and boys could also be victims and should be encouraged to speak out.

 

On his part, a legal practitioner, Mr Chimso Nzeagwu, said Nigerian laws had evolved considerably in addressing gender-based violence, citing the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, as a major development.

 

He said the law now treated gender-based violence as a serious offence capable of attracting arrest and imprisonment, adding that several states had domesticated the legislation.

 

Nzeagwu, however, identified economic dependence, stigma, fear and ignorance as some of the major reasons victims fail to report abuse.

 

He said many victims remained in violent relationships because they depended financially on their abusers or feared losing their homes and social standing.

 

Nzeagwu also stressed that gender-based violence was not limited to physical assault, but could include emotional, verbal, psychological and financial abuse.

 

He urged victims whose environments had become unsafe to seek immediate safety rather than remain in danger for the sake of their children.

 

“Your own life matters,” he said, advising victims to secure themselves and seek safe spaces before considering reconciliation or reintegration.

 

Nzeagwu maintained that Nigeria had sufficient laws to deal with gender-based violence, arguing that the greater challenge was the failure to report cases and the persistence of the culture of silence.

 

He commended the church for taking the campaign against gender-based violence seriously and urged religious and women’s organisations to intensify public education.

 

Nzeagwu called on men experiencing abuse to speak up and confide in trusted people, noting that men could equally become victims.

 

Also speaking, the Administrative Officer of ACADI, Aduku Joy Oparaojiaku, said the youth-focused programme was designed to ensure that young people were not merely beneficiaries but co-creators of interventions against gender-based violence.

 

She said prevention should begin by teaching young people about boundaries, consent, respect and accountability in relationships.

 

Oparaojiaku observed programmes should move beyond repeated dialogue to measurable action capable of changing behaviours and reducing violence.

 

She also noted that inadequate data remained a challenge in determining the true scale of gender-based violence and measuring changes in victims’ and perpetrators’ behaviour.

 

Oparaojiaku called for stronger preventive measures and greater involvement of young people in designing programmes that affect them.

 

The speakers collectively urged Nigerians to reject the culture of silence, report abuse and ensure that victims receive protection while perpetrators are held accountable.

 

They also called for greater collaboration among churches, government agencies, civil society organisations, families and communities in the fight against gender-based violence.

 

This initiative arises from a nationwide project tagged “Church of Nigeria Transformational Response to Gender Based Violence (CON PREVENT GBV)”.

 

ACADI noted that while considerable progress has been made in raising awareness, significant challenges persist. These challenges include harmful social norms, inadequate survivor support systems, and limited institutional capacity

 

The organisation stated that in response to the above, ACADI, over the past three years, has implemented comprehensive GBV prevention interventions across the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and its surrounding communities.