The Women Affairs Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration said it is developing a community-led response system model to end Gender-Based Violence and other harmful practices.

The Mandate Secretary, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, stated this in Abuja, during a strategic engagement between the Wives of FCT Traditional Rulers Association (WOFCTTRA) and Ford Foundation.

Ms Benjamins-Laniyi said that the initiative was growing strong through partnerships with regional and international organisations such as the European Union and UN Women.

She added that the model, if successful, would be scaled to the six geopolitical zones of the country.

She added that the model would be inclusive, combining legal frameworks, royal institutional support, and community-level mobilisation.

According to her, traditional rulers and their wives have a crucial role in institutionalising the initiative in their communities.

She said, “Their voices can shift narratives and influence long-held beliefs.”

The mandate secretary said that the engagement with Ford Foundation centred on addressing harmful cultural practices, particularly Female Genital Mutilation.

She identified other areas as breast pressing and killing of twins and triplets, and the broader issues of GBV, reproductive rights, and women’s autonomy.

She added that the meeting involving WOFCTTRA, the ford foundation and other development partners was to explore strategic interventions and community-led solutions to GBV and other harmful practices in communities.

She said, “There are still communities within the FCT, where killing of twins, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, child marriage and harmful practices persists. Despite past efforts to abolish these acts, they persist underground in certain communities.”

Speaking on cultural change and sensitisation, Programme Officer, Ford Foundation, West Africa, Dr Izeduwa Derex-Briggs, stressed that legislation alone would not stop a cultural norm.

According to her, the people themselves must change their mindset.

She stated, “They need to see positive examples—twins and triplets from other regions who live healthy, celebrated lives. The same applies to harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Even with laws in place, the practice continues due to deeply rooted beliefs. For example, in some community in Nigeria, FGM is used under the false pretence of protecting girls from promiscuity yet, many women from that same community end up trafficked into prostitution. This shows how ineffective laws can be if not accompanied by education and cultural reorientation.”

On women reproductive rights and autonomy, Derex-Briggs, said that the women were pressured into having many children, sometimes risking their lives in the process.

This, she described, as simply “reproductive coercion.”

Ms Derex-Briggs said that community-driven interventions remained a critical approach to d grassroots drive.

She said that each community should reflect on harmful norms and define clear punitive measures against violations.

She added that the women could begin internal dialogues to identify the norms they wish to challenge and gradually build consensus with their spouses and elders.

She stressed the need for a multigenerational movement, through the engagement of young girls, grandmothers, and transgenerational influencers.

She noted, “Let grandmothers speak to their granddaughters, bring home those who now live abroad to share stories and show what is possible when harmful norms are abandoned. We must hold community conversations where elders are not ashamed but respected and invited into the process.”

President of WOFCTTRA, Hauwa Adamu, said that the group has the social capital to lead the change from within.

Mrs Adamu, the wife of the Ona of Abaji, Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers in the FCT, added that on the other hand, Ford Foundation and other development partners could provide structure and resources.

“By working together with honesty, courage, and empathy, we can ensure that every child is safe, every woman has autonomy, and no tradition justifies violence,” she said.

(NAN)