Traditions mistaken to be ‘Normal’.
Hauwa was only 12 and couldn’t understand why her parents gave her up to a ‘Foster Father’ or so she thought- one whose facial wrinkles and crow’s feet clearly showed an age way beyond that of her Father. It was only after she was called into a room filled with older women on the night of what seemed like a ‘ceremony’ to be advised- “You must be submissive’, “You must take good care of your husband”, “Give him whatever he wants”, “You are a Woman, education is not for you, take care of your home”. It was only then it dawned on her ‘She was a new bride’.
Hauwa is not alone as about 43% of girls in Nigeria are married off before the age of 18 costing Nigeria about USD7. 6 billion in lost earnings and productivity every year aside the everlasting damages done to generations of women.
Enrollment of girls in school ranges from one third to one quarter of classroom participants and out of the 10.5 million out-of-school children, two-thirds are girls.This only points to the fact that Women and Girls have continually been at the receiving end of negative traditions and societal norms.
Attention most times is turned to the government on what it can and should do to protect women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence without considering the ever present traditional institutions and rulers who strongly influence the decisions of the people. Traditional leaders and rulers still possess the requisite socio-cultural wherewithal to put an end to such negative social norms that infringe on the rights of women and girls.
Having such goal in view, Youthhubafrica held a dialogue and Capacity building session with 20 Traditional Heads from AMAC and Bwari Area Council within the FCT to address the prevalence of Sexual and Gender-based violence, providing a framework for traditional Leaders to have a better understanding of ‘Age of Consent’, ‘Marital Rape’,’Child marriage’ and other forms of Gender-based violence that have been disguised in the name of Culture.
Ms. Bukky Shonibare , a Girls’ and Women Rights Advocate and Founder Girl Child Africa, facilitated a major session of the dialogue, giving an overview of various forms of Gender-based violence as well as the key role Traditional Leaders play in influencing Harmful practices.
As traditional leaders make commitments to set up vigilance in their communities in order to end Sexual and gender-based Violence, we remain positive that the infringement of the Rights of Women and Girls in Nigeria and Globally will someday be a ‘Thing of the past’.
#SpotlightEndViolence #HerForShe. #SpotlightNG #MenEndViolence #EducationFirst #EndVAWG
