FIDA advocates community-led action to end GBV

Country Vice President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Mrs Eliana Martins, has called for stronger community-driven initiatives to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) and promote gender justice across the federation.

She made the call in Lagos yesterday at the Shared Learning Forum for Local Gatekeepers on Gender-Based Violence, held under the theme “Promoting Gender Justice Through Community Dialogues and Engagements.”

Martins said the forum was part of a broader FIDA-led effort to deepen conversations with traditional, cultural, and religious leaders described as “local gatekeepers” to foster inclusive approaches in addressing gender inequality and violence.

According to her, FIDA has, over the years,organised a series of dialogues and learning sessions with community influencers across Nigeria to advance gender justice and strengthen grassroots mechanisms for protecting women and girls.

“Between 2009 and now, our organisation has facilitated more than 20 community dialogues across several states. These engagements have successfully established platforms that empower communities to leverage local resources in promoting gender equity and preventing violence,” she said.

Martins noted that these engagements had proved instrumental in building collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, and traditional institutions in responding to GBV cases and safeguarding vulnerable persons.

She explained that the shared learning forum aimed not only to consolidate the gains of previous dialogues, but also to sustain community action and ensure that gender justice remains a central part of social and developmental discourse.

FIDA Project Manager, Fikih Obaro, said the objective of the forum was to have a conversation on what the organisationhad done and to ascertain a clear understanding of GBV.

Vice Chairperson of FIDA Ikeja Branch, Mrs Clara Mbachu, said the organisation had recorded significant progress in its ongoing campaign to curb GBV through community engagement and sensitisation.