The Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, has advocated sustained community education as a strategy to challenge harmful norms across the six area councils.
The President of the MWAN-FCT Chapter, Dr Maureen Umeakuewulu made the call on behalf of the Association at a news conference on Saturday in Abuja the nation’s capital.
Umeakuewulu said; “harmful norms were partly responsible for the increase in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigerian communities.”
The association advocated the implementation and strict enforcement of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, stressing that ending GBV requires collective action by individuals and institutions.
She said; “We called for community education to challenge harmful norms, survivor-centred health, legal, and psychosocial services, safe and confidential reporting mechanisms and engagement of men and boys as allies.”
The President said the French Embassy’s commitment to advancing gender equality and protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls had significantly strengthened the association’s advocacy, community engagement and capacity-building efforts.
“We acknowledge this partnership as a powerful demonstration of international solidarity in addressing gender-based violence, and we look forward to continued collaboration aimed at building safer and more inclusive communities for women and girls in Nigeria.
“Ending gender-based violence is not the responsibility of one sector—it is a collective duty. While today marks the end of the 16 Days of activism, it must not mark the end of action, GBV does not occur for only 16 days in a year—it occurs every day.
“Our response must therefore be continuous, coordinated, and sustained,” she explained.
She reaffirmed that MWAN’s advocacy would continue, stressing that the association remained committed to building safer communities, protecting women’s health and dignity, and ensuring that no woman or girl lives in fear.
A former President of MWAN-FCT and past National Coordinator of MWAN, Dr Stella Essiet, expressed disappointment with the Nigerian judicial system, saying that much had not been done to ensure justice for victims of GBV.
Dr Essiet cited numerous cases across the country which, she said, had escaped justice, and called on judges to rise to the occasion and deliver judgments that would serve as a deterrent to others.
She further alleged that some cases collapse naturally due to insufficient evidence to sustain prosecution, a situation she said had contributed to the deaths of many women and young girls.
“It is only when the victim has died before we hear some judgment, some pronouncement, we don’t have to wait for this woman to die before we can take action,” she stressed.
NAN