The Digest:
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has called on religious and traditional leaders across Nigeria to lead the charge against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). This appeal came during a knowledge-enhancing session in Abuja, highlighting their crucial role as custodians of culture and moral compasses in their communities, as reported by Chibuzor Emejor.
Key Points:
- Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi urged religious and traditional leaders to actively fight GBV.
- He tasked them with building peace, defending the vulnerable, and challenging cultures of silence or shame around abuse.
- Fagbemi emphasized that while strong legal frameworks are vital, legislation alone isn't enough to dismantle gender inequality.
- Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, decried rampant GBV cases, noting over 19,000 officially reported in 2023 alone.
- Sulaiman-Ibrahim identified the moral breakdown of families as a key factor in escalating GBV cases.
- Her ministry's expanded mandate includes promoting family cohesion, peaceful parenting, and intergenerational stability under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
- She expressed regret that some religious leaders have been implicated in abuse, stressing that no title should shield wrongdoing.
Sources: Leadership Newspaper
