Anglican Church, CSOs Seek Stronger Collaboration To Fight Gender-Based Violence

The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, and civil society organisations have called for stronger collaboration in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), saying a sustained and collective approach is required to protect vulnerable persons and curb the growing menace.

The call was made on Monday during an engagement involving representatives of the Anglican Church, Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative (ACADI) and civil society organisations, where participants identified prevention, public education, legal intervention and institutional cooperation as critical to tackling GBV.

Speaking at the engagement, Mrs Nneka Ifeoma Onyea, wife of the Anglican Bishop of Nnewi Diocese and a legal practitioner, said the fight against GBV must go beyond responding to victims after violence has occurred.

Onyea, who examined the impact of GBV on individuals, families and society, highlighted its various forms, the remedies available to survivors and the trauma suffered by victims.

She stressed the need to shift greater attention towards preventing new cases, noting that stronger collaboration between legal practitioners and faith leaders could significantly strengthen the response to GBV.

According to her, the responsibility for eliminating gender-based violence should not be left to government, religious institutions or civil society organisations alone.

She urged individuals to speak out whenever they witnessed or became aware of abuse, stressing that collective action was essential to preventing further violence.

Onyea also cautioned against restricting discussions on gender-based violence to election periods ahead of the 2027 general elections, noting that GBV could occur before, during and after elections.

She said the ultimate objective should be to build a society where people, particularly women, could freely make decisions without intimidation, threats or violence.

The legal practitioner identified education as one of the most effective tools for preventing GBV, stressing that the process must begin from the home.

She urged parents to raise children with the fear of God, respect for others and a clear understanding of acceptable behaviour.

Onyea also called for greater public awareness of legal rights and available avenues for redress, insisting that persistent perpetrators must be prosecuted and punished to serve as deterrents.

Also speaking, a chairman of ACADI Governing Board Council, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, urged the Church to acknowledge and confront the reality of GBV within religious communities.

Fatusi said GBV occurs in churches and other religious settings, stressing that the Church, as an institution expected to be the “light and salt” of society, must lead by example.

He identified limited resources as one of ACADE’s major challenges, particularly in implementing prevention programmes and providing survivor support, legal assistance and medical services.

Fatusi, however, said ACADI’s mandate remained anchored on promoting zero tolerance for gender-based violence within the Church, adding that significant progress had been recorded within the Anglican Communion.

According to him, the Anglican Church has developed a written GBV policy which expressly states that gender-based violence would not be tolerated at any level.

He added that procedures and mechanisms had been established for responding to reported cases, while coordinating mechanisms had also been created across almost all dioceses of the Anglican Church.

Fatusi further disclosed that bishops and their wives had received training on GBV, with similar capacity-building programmes extended to other levels of church leadership.

He said GBV had also been integrated into the curriculum of theological schools within the Anglican Church and incorporated into Bible study programmes.

The development, ACADI said, demonstrated the Church’s commitment to embedding GBV prevention and response into its structures and activities.

Representing civil society organisations, Ayo Ipinmoye called for stronger integration of ACADI into the wider civil society space, stressing that the Church had an important role to play in addressing social challenges beyond its immediate religious environment.

Ipinmoye said stronger collaboration between the Church and the legal community could contribute significantly to improving the wellbeing of Nigerians.

He noted that ACADI possessed expertise that could contribute to several areas of national development, including education, agriculture, healthcare, security and conflict resolution.

Ipinmoye assured that efforts would be made to strengthen ACADI’s voice and representation in civil society engagements, including national and international conferences.

He said that greater participation by faith-based organisations in such platforms would enrich discussions and help develop broader responses to some of the fundamental challenges confronting the country.