Forcing women to take oath to prove their fidelity is harmful practice

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has identified harmful traditional practices as the commonest of the violence against women and girls in Abia State, Nigeria’s south-east.

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The NHRC State Coordinator, Uche Nwokocha, disclosed this to reporters in Umuahia during a rally to kick-off 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

Mrs Nwokocha described harmful traditional practices as customs, behaviours, or rituals that are deeply ingrained in certain cultures or societies but have detrimental effects on individuals, communities, or specific groups.

She said that the practices ranked most among the over 600 complaints received so far by the commission in 2025.

According to her, “These complaints are coming up because people are becoming aware and they now know what to do.”

Mrs Nwokocha raised the alarm against disinheritance of girls and widows, saying that people scrambled for late husbands’ and fathers’ property, “trying to disinherit their children”.

She also described infidelity rituals and oaths as other harmful practices, which women were now coming out to complain about.

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She said: “Men force their wives to take an oath, and the community will support them because the husband said that she had cheated.

“The woman will be forced to go and take oath to show that she has not cheated.

“For that of infidelity rituals, the woman has not cheated, but the man wants her to swear that she will never cheat on him.

“He will go and place some ritual on her and her family so that if she cheats on him, she, her brothers and sisters will die.

“They say that it has been going on, but women have not been complaining about it.

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“Now, we are receiving complaints about this, and some people even try to tell me that it is their cultural practice.”

Additionally, Victor Orji, the director of the National Orientation Agency in Abia, called for concerted efforts to combat GBV.

“It’s not just about women or men, it’s about everybody.

“So, that’s why we are supporting this campaign, to make sure that people behave responsibly,” Mr Orji said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the commission and its many partners marched around the streets of Umuahia, sensitising the residents to the dangers of GBV.

The theme for this year is “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls.”