Regional Director for West Africa at the Ford Foundation, Dr ChiChi Aniagolu, has called on First Ladies across the ECOWAS region to leverage their unique “soft power” to accelerate action against gender-based violence (GBV).

Aniagolu described their influence as critical to shifting societal norms and strengthening accountability systems.

She made the call while delivering a goodwill message at the ECOWAS First Ladies’ Forum on Zero Tolerance for Gender-Based Violence, held in Banjul, The Gambia, under the SWEDD+ platform in partnership with the World Bank and UNFPA.

Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Aniagolu noted that one in three women globally experienced physical or sexual violence, with the situation further exacerbated in West and Central Africa by harmful practices such as child marriage, where over 30 per cent of girls were married before the age of 18 in many countries.

She also underscored the economic impact, stating that GBV costs countries up to 3.7 per cent of GDP, exceeding investments in key sectors like education.

“We have the frameworks. We have the commitments. But we do not yet have outcomes at scale,” she stated.

Despite regional adoption of instruments such as the Maputo Protocol and national GBV laws, she noted that survivors still faced barriers in accessing justice, with systems often fragmented and inaccessible.

Aniagolu emphasised that while First Ladies were not policymakers, their influence remained pivotal.

She cited the example of Maryam Babangida, whose Better Life for Rural Women Programme (1987) brought rural women into national development discourse and influenced economic empowerment initiatives.

Aniagolu highlighted the Ford Foundation’s ongoing investments in strengthening GBV prevention and response systems across West Africa, particularly through collaboration with First Ladies and platforms for governors’ spouses in Nigeria.