The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) today begins a two-day Stakeholder dialogue on the Islamic Perspective on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention in Abuja.
The event, jointly organised by the dRPC, Muslim Opinion Leaders for the Prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria, and the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue, will feature the launch of key manuals.
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This includes the launch of the Abridged Version of the Al-Azhar Guide on the Islamic Perspective of GBV; The Hausa Translation of the Islamic Guide on GBV in Northern Nigeria; and the Guidelines on the Islamic Perspective for GBV Prevention for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual & GBV.
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN) will also launch its Guidelines on the Role of Muslim Opinion Leaders (MOLs) in peace, protection and prevention in conflict-related SGBV in Nigeria.
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The line-up of speakers includes the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Kano State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Tijjani Auwal; Secretary to the Governor of Kano State, Umar Ibrahim; and the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Haruna Musa.
The Lead Paper on Religious Guidelines and the Role of Muslim Leaders in the Prevention of GBV will be presented by Gamaleldin Aboulserour, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and director of the International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research, at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
PREMIUM TIMES is on the ground to provide live updates of the event scheduled to commence by 9 a.m. in Abuja.
9:44 am: Master of Ceremony introduces the programme, Stakeholder Dialogue on the Islamic Perspective on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and FOMWAN Launch of Guidelines on the Role of MOLs in Peace, Protection and Prevention in Conflict-Related SGBV in Nigeria.
The MC also introduced the organising organisation, including dRPC, Muslim Opinion Leaders for the Prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria and the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue.
9:47 a.m.: Opening prayers by Ahmad Yankuzo, chief Imam, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State
9:49 a.m.: Participants stood to recite the National Anthem
9:57 am: The Master of Ceremony introduces the guests and reads the highlights of today’s event.
The items on the agenda include a welcome address from the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID), Goodwill addresses by guests and partners, including the sponsor, Ford Foundation, and a keynote address on the Islamic perspective on GBV, keynote presentation on religious guidelines and the Role of Muslim Leaders in the Prevention of GBV, launch of three manuals, a panel discussion and experience sharing.
10:07 a.m.: A member of the board of the dRPC, Sani Garko, a professor, takes the podium to deliver the welcome address
10:08 a.m.: He spoke about how the dRPC was founded by academics at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, when there were not a lot of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Northern Nigeria.
10:09 a.m.: He said the organisation was committed to addressing issues plaguing Northern Nigeria. One of them, he said, is GBV. He explained the role of traditional leaders in shaping opinions about GBV.
10:15 am: Director, CICID, BUK, Taufiq Abubakar, welcome insightful conversations. share stories and work that needs to be done.
10:17 am: He emphasised that molestation and all forms of harassment are prohibited in Islam.
10:20 am: He said Islam has a code of conduct for treating women, which, if followed, will lead to a GBV-free society.
10:23 a.m.: In his goodwill message, Programme Officer, Ford Foundation, Oumar N’diaye, urged participants to take the messages to be discussed from the room to their communities.
He encouraged participants and recognised the efforts of all the stakeholders in ending GBV.
10:31 a.m.: The Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Kano State, delivers a goodwill address, Tijjani Auwal.
10:33 a.m.: Mr Auwal said organisations like the dRPC reach where the government cannot reach.
10:40 a.m.: The Secretary to the Government of Kano State, Umar Ibrahim, said some dRPC-trained Muslim Opinion Leaders supported the state government’s women’s economic empowerment policy.
He appreciated the support and partnership of the stakeholders and their commitment to ending GBV.
10:45 am: The Vice-Chancellor, Bayero University Kano (BUK), Haruna Musa, a professor. He is represented by Safiya Nuhu.
10:47 am: Mr Musa said despite provisions of Islam that prohibits GBV, harmful cultural practices have allowed it to persist.
10:50 am: He emphasised that Islamic scholars and leaders have an important role in influencing the society to end GBV.
10:52 am: He commended dRPC for its role in engaging Islamic scholars and using them as champions of the initiative.
10:53 am: He expressed commitment to the initiative and described it as a community service for the university.
11:05 am: Imam Usman noted that laws and courts alone cannot completely solve the challenge of GBV. He said that alongside the law, there must be family, society, school, and moral education to spread the culture of tolerance and non-violence among individuals.
11:07 am: He said Islam has general and specific texts prohibiting violence. He said the general asked people to treat each other kindly.
11:08 am: He said there is a constant recommendation to spread mercy and compassion in the Qur’an.
11:11 am: He said the family in Islam is the first protective fence and is given utmost importance.
11:55 am: Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, declares the ceremony open. The minister is represented by Aisha Gana.
Ms Gana said the minister is currently in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly.
11:19 am: Imam Usman said it is impermissible for a man to hit his wife, but noted ‘mild beating’ is permitted. He said beating in the context is not violent.
11:20 am: He said Islam prohibits physical and emotional harm against wives
11:40 am: He said the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH), the role model for Muslims, never hit his wives. He emphasised that a good husband doesn’t hit his wife.
11:41 am: He quoted the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, directing men to treat women well.
11:52 am: He said scholars encourage couples to seek mediation through families
11:53 am: He noted that Islam condemns GBV in all forms.
12:00 pm: The Master of Ceremony said there would be a group picture before the tea break. He said two short videos will be played while participants take their tea break.
He said the next item, the keynote presentation by Gamaleldin Abdulserour, will begin at 1:00 pm.
12:05 pm: Session on break. To resume by 1:00 pm.
1:00 pm: The Master of Ceremony welcomes guests back to the programme.
He introduced the next programme and read a brief citation of the Keynote presentation on Religious Guidelines and the Role of Muslim Leaders in the Prevention of GBV, by Gamaleldin Abdulserour, a professor.
Mr Abdulserour is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Director of the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research, member of the Islamic Research Council at Al-Azhar, Editor of the UNFPA-published Guide on the Islamic Perspective on GBV, former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt and Recipient of the United Nations Population Award (2013) and the Nile Prize for Science (2018).
1:06 pm: He said it is the duty of the scholars to counter popular narratives in the mass media, particularly those being propagated by extremists.
1:15 pm: The professor explained that there are five types of Gender Based Violence against women. He listed them as Physical Assault, Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, Social and Cultural Violence, Psychological Violence and Political Violence.
1:20 pm: He also listed the causes of violence to include social abuse channelled from one generation to another, customs and traditions that encourage women to be passive, poverty and unemployment, as well as a lack of religious sentiment.
1:25 pm: Speaking on Islamic perspectives on GBV, Mr Abdulserour described it as equality of opportunities, rights and duties based on competence and ability as granted by Allah.
1:44 pm: Question and Answers session with Professor Abdulserour.
One participant from FOMWAN narrated an experience they had and how the incident cost a child their childhood and happiness.
The participant, a woman, narrated that a 13-year-old girl was forcefully married to a 17-year-old boy, because the parents simply wanted to join their families.
Eventually, the young girl developed a vesicovaginal fistula (VVF). Two surgeries later, she was healed but also divorced at a young age.
According to the FOMWAN woman, the girl now lives with psychological trauma.
1:55 pm: Another participant also spoke about the emphasis on equity between men and women in Islam, which is different from general equality.
2:09 pm: Umar Jabbi, a traditional ruler for Sokoto, emphasised the need for all girls to acquire a secondary school education before marriage.
2:12 pm: Another participant, a man, said that gender-based violence against men is usually emotional. He said this is resulting in a declining population of men globally.
2:15 pm: Speaking on child marriage, Imam Ilyas Usman of the National Mosque warned against pegging marriage on age.
2:32 p.m.: The Master of Ceremony announced another short break for participants to perform salat. The session will be back by 2:45 p.m.
3:27 pm: It is time to launch the three manuals. They are: The Abridged Version of the Al-Azhar Guide on the Islamic Perspective on GBV, The Hausa Translation of the Islamic Guide on GBV in Northern Nigeria, and the Guidelines on the Islamic Perspective for GBV Prevention for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual and GBV.
To launch the manuals, the Master of Ceremony invited the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of FOMWAN, Hauwa Abdullahi, Director CICID, Taufiq Abubakar and Professor Aboulserour.
3:44 pm: Professor Aboulserour led the launch of the three manuals.
The Master of Ceremony said the three manuals will be issued to participants. He said the books will be discussed during panel sessions tomorrow, the second day of the programme.
3:47 pm: The Master of Ceremony introduced a panel to discuss state governments’ programmes to prevent and respond to GBV.
The discussants are: The Commissioner for Women Affairs Jigawa State, Hadiza Abdulwahab; Kaduna State, Rabi Salisu; Kano State, Amina Abdullahi; and Niger State, Hadiza Shiru.
The panel is to be moderated by Abdullahi Maiwada.
3:52 pm: The panel discussion begins. Mr Maiwada introduces the discussion.
3:54 pm: The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Kaduna State, Ms Salisu, said there are policies, including the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, Gender equity and social inclusion policy, Child Welfare and Protection Law, and Women Economic Empowerment
She said the child welfare and protection law also covers issues around child marriage. She explained that the law aligns with Islamic laws.
She said the dRPC played a critical role in the WEE policy in Kaduna State, which will be implemented soon.
3:58 pm: The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Jigawa State, Ms Abdulwahab, said 143,000 women have been given free access to medication to address GBV.
She said the state also operates free access to education for the girl child from basic to tertiary education.
She said the state has established an SGBV working group, with the justice ministry and traditional leaders as key players.
She said an assault referral centre, first established in 2016, has also been scaled up. She said four additional ones have been constructed
4:05 pm: The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Disabilities in Kano State, Ms Abdullahi is represented by the Director of Planning and Statistics at the Ministry, Yakubu Muhammad.
Ms Abdullahi said the state is making efforts to ensure that Kano State people are aware of the Child Protection Law.
She said the WEE policy of the state takes into consideration the categories of women, including PWDs.
4:09 pm: The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs in Niger State, Ms Shiru is represented by Hadiza Ilyasu.
She said Niger State focuses a lot on advocacy in markets, schools and traditional institutions for sensitisation.
She said the state now has budget provisions for GBV programmes, with the aim to ensure it is sustained in subsequent budgets
4:13 pm: The Kaduna state Commissioner said 20,000 women have benefited from the cash transfer programme. The amount disbursed for each woman is between N100,000 and N500,000, she said.
Ms Salisu said it engaged religious leaders through the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). She also said the government engages FOMWAN and the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) on issues regarding women empowerment.
4:21 pm: The Jigawa commissioner said the ministry is mainstreaming gender in the implementation of all projects in the state, including the education, health, commerce and agriculture ministries.
4:26 pm: In Niger state, the Commissioner said it provided safe shelters located in Minna, Kontagora, Suleja and New Bussa.
She said the state has established a family court to cater for legal aspects.
4:32 pm: The Kano state commissioner said the state focused more on prevention and providing services to survivors.
4:39 pm: The Kaduna State commissioner called for more collaboration with NGOs in funding and investment for shelters and the construction of
She also expressed worry about parents and community leaders covering up for perpetrators, while the victims live on with the scars.
4:45pm: The Jigawa State commissioner said there needs to be more policies to mandate support for divorced women.
4:50 pm: The Niger commissioner said one challenges in the state is that most cases are not reported on time, particularly those in rural communities. By the time some cases are reported, there is no evidence to prosecute the offender.
4:54 pm: The Master of Ceremony announces a short break for participants to grab lunch.
The last panel session resumes after lunch.
4:54 pm: The Master of Ceremony announced a short break for participants to grab lunch.
The last panel session resumes after lunch.
4:39 pm: The Kaduna state commissioner called for more collaboration with NGOs in funding and investment for shelters and the construction of
She also worried about parents and community leaders, covering up for perpetrators, while the victims live on with the scars.
4:45pm: The Jigawa state commissioner said there needs to be more policies to mandate support for divorced women.
4:50 pm: The Niger commissioner said one challenge in the state is that most cases are not reported on time, particularly those residing in rural communities. By the time some cases are reported, there is no evidence to prosecute the offender.
4:13 pm: The Kaduna State Commissioner said 20,000 women have benefited from the cash transfer programme. Disbursed for each woman is between N100,000 and N500,000, she said.
Ms Salisu said it engaged religious leaders through the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). She also said the government engages FOMWAN and the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) on issues regarding women empowerment.
4:21 pm: The Jigawa Commissioner said the ministry is mainstreaming gender in the implementation of all projects in the state, including the education, health, commerce and agriculture ministries.
4:26 pm: In Niger State, the Commissioner said it provided safe shelters located in Minna, Kontagora, Suleja and New Bussa.
She said the state has established a family court to cater for legal aspects.
4:32 pm: The Kano State commissioner said the state focused more on prevention and providing services to survivors.
5:18 pm: The Master of Ceremony introduces the next panel session and panellists.
The panellists are: The Director of Intervention, Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Kaduna State, Sani Isah; Umar Jabbi, Sarkin Yakin Gagi; Abdul-Azeez Mashi, a professor at the Ummaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina State; Binta Abdullahi (Mai Larabci), avMOL; and Sa’adatu Hashim, FOMWAN Kano.
Ballama Mustafa will moderate the session.
5:22 p.m.: Mr Mustafa introduced the panel on sharing experiences and stories of impact on work on GBV.
5:23 p.m.: Mr Isah, the director of IMC, said a network of Islamic religious leaders and Christian religious leaders came together to look into some policies on GBV to ensure it is locally acceptable.
5:30 p.m.: Mr Jabbi said Sokoto has put in place measures to ensure increased case reporting whenever there is a case of GBV.
He explained that Sokoto has GBV surveillance teams in each local government area, a state coordinating committee for GBV, which is headed by the deputy governor.
He also said a law to create a family court to try GBV cases has passed third reading in the Sokoto State House of Assembly.
5:39 p.m.: In Katsina, Mr Mashi said the religious leaders have used the mass media, such as radio, to speak on programmes to educate people on GBV.
5:55 p.m.: Ms Abdullahi explained that insecurity has also worsened GBV in the North-west.
6:06 p.m.: The panel session ended, and the Master of Ceremony took to the podium.
6:013 p.m.: One of the participants took the closing prayer. Participants are now leaving their seats and walking towards the door as they step outside the hall.
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