Stakeholders in Bauchi State have called for stronger legislative action, improved survivor support services, and greater community involvement in tackling Gender-Based Violence (GBV), warning that violence against women and girls remains a major public health and development challenge.

The stakeholders made the call on Thursday during a policy roundtable titled, “From Community Voices to Legislative Action: Strengthening Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response in Bauchi State,” organised by the Thamani for Women and Youth Development Initiative (THAMANI) under its #HerVoice Project, with support from the Urgent Action Fund–Africa (UAF-Africa).

The Programme Coordinator of THAMANI, Nicholas Oshojah Afeso, said the dialogue was informed by months of community consultations in Dass Local Government Area involving women leaders, community members, service providers and other stakeholders.

He said the engagement culminated in a policy brief containing evidence-based recommendations aimed at strengthening GBV prevention and response across Bauchi State.

Afeso stressed that participants agreed that Gender-Based Violence should no longer be regarded as a private family issue but as a public health concern, a development challenge and a barrier to justice and inclusive growth.

According to him, findings from the consultations revealed that women and girls continue to suffer domestic violence, sexual violence, forced marriage and economic abuse, while many survivors remain silent due to fear, stigma and social pressure.

He noted that survivors who seek help often face delays in accessing healthcare, legal services and psychosocial support because of weak referral systems and limited institutional capacity.

“The consequences of Gender-Based Violence extend beyond individual survivors. It contributes to poor maternal and reproductive health outcomes, increases vulnerability to infectious diseases, disrupts children’s education, weakens family stability, affects livelihoods and slows community development,” Afeso said.

Stakeholders at the roundtable identified key priority actions, including strengthening survivor-centred response systems to ensure timely access to healthcare, legal assistance, psychosocial support and protection through coordinated referral mechanisms.

They also advocated improved capacity for primary healthcare workers and community health extension workers to identify, support and appropriately refer GBV survivors, particularly in underserved communities.

Participants further called for greater involvement of women leaders, traditional and religious institutions, Fathers’ Forums and civil society organisations in preventing violence, challenging harmful social norms, supporting survivors and encouraging timely reporting.

The roundtable also emphasised the need for stronger implementation of existing laws, improved coordination among government agencies, better data management and sustainable financing for GBV response programmes.

The stakeholders urged the Bauchi State House of Assembly to consider the recommendations contained in the policy brief and work with the executive arm of government to strengthen the state’s legal and institutional framework for preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence.
They also appealed to relevant ministries, departments and agencies to improve collaboration and service delivery to ensure that survivors have access to justice and protection regardless of their location.

The participants further called on the Bauchi State Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), tertiary institutions and school administrators to institutionalise GBV prevention through safeguarding policies, awareness campaigns, functional reporting mechanisms and the integration of GBV prevention, consent and respectful relationships into school curricula.

The non-governmental organisation urged the traditional and religious leaders to continue promoting values that protect the dignity of women and girls, discourage harmful practices and support justice for survivors.

The organisers also appealed to civil society organisations and development partners to sustain advocacy, community education and service delivery efforts, while urging the media to report GBV issues responsibly, amplify survivors’ voices and help break the culture of silence and stigma.

Afeso expressed optimism that translating community voices into concrete policy actions would strengthen the fight against Gender-Based Violence and contribute to building safer and more inclusive communities across Bauchi State.