African Faith Leaders Join Fight to End Violence

In a society where 99% of people follow religious teachings, Nigeria is discovering an unexpected ally in protecting women and girls: the faith leaders themselves.

This February, over 100 faith and traditional leaders from across 23 African nations will gather in Nigeria for a historic conversation. Their mission? Using their deep community influence to prevent gender-based violence before it happens.

The challenge is real. Despite nearly every African country having laws against violence toward women and girls, one in three still experiences physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. A woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by an intimate partner or family member.

The problem isn't just lack of laws. It's that culture, tradition, and religion shape daily life more powerfully than any policy on paper.

But something is shifting. The Anglican Church in Nigeria recently made a groundbreaking decision to include gender-based violence prevention in every couple's premarital counseling. After training with Anglican Compassion and Development Initiative, church leaders realized their own teachings sometimes upheld acceptance of violence within marriages.

In Cross River, Plateau, and Ekiti States, traditional leaders are rewriting community guidelines. Widows who once faced losing everything after their husbands died can now stay in their homes and keep their property. Church members walk alongside them to ensure their rights are protected.

Muslim leaders in northern Nigeria are also stepping up. Through partnerships with Development Research and Projects Centre, they're showing how protecting women's rights aligns with Islamic teachings.

The Ripple Effect

The shift happening in Nigeria reveals why this approach matters so much. When a religious leader speaks about protecting women, entire communities listen in ways they might not hear government officials or activists.

Economic security is one of the strongest shields against violence. When widows can inherit property and women have financial independence, their vulnerability to violence drops dramatically. These community-level changes create safety nets that laws alone cannot provide.

The Ford Foundation's two years working with traditional leaders in West Africa has proven something vital: preventing violence requires changing the cultural norms that allow it to happen. Response services for survivors remain critical, but only 0.2% of development assistance goes to prevention work.

Making these changes stick requires patience. Religious and cultural beliefs run deep, and progress won't always move forward in a straight line. That's why organizations are institutionalizing these changes into official church policies and community guidelines, ensuring they outlast any single sermon or conversation.

Progress is possible when the most influential voices in a community use their platform for protection instead of silence.