The concern raised by various stakeholders of the society across Niger State about increasing cases of stigmatisation of survivors of gender-based violence has informed the decision of the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Ministry of Women Affairs to organise a one-day workshop for over 40 government officials, security agencies, and service providers. The workshop aims to tackle stigmatisation through a religious perspective.

The workshop was supported by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), in collaboration with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), with support from the Ford Foundation, under the Muslim Opinion Leaders in Northern Nigeria, held in Minna.

The workshop, according to the organisers, aims to strengthen the capacities of GBV desk officers in the state Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Women Affairs, as well as security agencies in the state on adopting religious teachings in preventing stigmatisation and rehabilitating survivors in the state.

Declaring the one-day workshop open, the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Barrister Mairo Muhammad Man, noted that the intervention would go a long way in tackling the menace facing survivors of GBV who have experienced double victimisation: enduring the violence they suffered for years while in captivity, and being stigmatized in their communities. This stigma often leads many to contemplate returning to captivity rather than facing increasing victimisation in their communities.

Barrister Man stated that the state government is committed to providing a supportive environment for survivors through psycho-social support, empowerment, and community integration.

The permanent secretary praised the organisers for introducing religious education as a means of reducing stigmatisation for abuse victims.

Earlier, the Chief Imam of Federal University of Technology Minna, Dr. Bashir Ahmed Yankuzo, explained that gender-based violence is a scourge that crosses religion, culture, and geography.

Dr. Yankuzo emphasised that it is a violation of human rights, a betrayal of trust, and a distortion of the divine principles of compassion and justice that Islam, Christianity, and indeed all faiths hold sacred.

He said, “Today, we gathered not only to condemn this evil but to reaffirm our collective duty as people of faith to uphold the dignity of survivors with mercy, justice, and unwavering support,” adding that “Islam places the sanctity of human life and dignity at the forefront of its teachings.”

“When GBV occurs, it is not just a crime against an individual, it is a Violation of divine decree. Our faith compels us to stand against oppression in all forms, particularly against the most vulnerable.”

Speaking further, the state Amira of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hajiya Hauwa Kulu Abdullahi, urged the service providers, security agencies, and government officials who attended the workshop to be open-minded, challenged assumptions, share knowledge, and enhance their collective capacity to work together in eradicating society’s stigma against survivors of gender-based violence.

Earlier, the Royal Father at the event, Barayan Zazzau, and the District Head of Kabula, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu Yazid, disclosed that Suleja Emirate and the entire traditional councils of Niger State are supportive of any intervention for victims of GBV in Nigeria, emphasising that as institutions close to the victims, they would continue to back any efforts that aim to reintegrate survivors into their community.

“There is a need to continue engaging religious and traditional leaders, which involves investing in the reintegration of GBV survivors into their communities through moral support, economic aid, and appropriate care to help survivors find comfort and move past their traumatic experiences,” he said.

In his welcome address at the workshop, the Director of Partnership and Communication at the Development Research and Projects Centre, Mallam Hassan Aliyu Karofi, described the one-day workshop as a response to the recent rescue of 27 women who had been in captivity for a long time and returned with pregnancies and children. He revealed that the workshop will aid in building the capacity of participants to support survivors of gender-based violence in the state.