Kano Launches Program to Protect Women Farmers from Violence

Women who grow Nigeria's food now have powerful new allies standing between them and violence.

Kano State just launched a comprehensive program targeting gender-based violence against women working in agriculture. The initiative brings together the state government, the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, and the Development Research and Projects Centre to protect one of Nigeria's most vulnerable yet essential workforces.

The program will reach 16,000 people across farming communities including Rano, Bebeji, and Dawakin Kudu. It will train 285 traditional leaders and engage 460 gender champions to recognize warning signs and respond when women face violence.

Commissioner Amina Sani delivered a direct message to community elders at Tuesday's launch event. She urged them to stop treating gender-based violence as something shameful to hide, explaining that silence prevents victims from getting help and authorities from tracking the problem's true scale.

"Whenever this happens, they should voice it out for people to know what is happening so that we can identify the victims, know what to do for them, empower them, take care of them," Sani said.

The commissioner pointed to a recent case her ministry handled involving a woman allegedly burned with hot water and divorced by her husband. With Governor Abba Yusuf's support, the ministry took charge of the woman's medical treatment and legal rights, visiting her at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and ensuring she received ongoing care.

The state already runs a Women Economic Empowerment Programme that supports 5,200 women monthly with 50,000 naira each to start or grow businesses. Economic independence, officials note, gives women more power to escape dangerous situations.

The ministry has stationed Gender-Based Violence desk officers and Women Development Officers across all 44 local government areas. These officers receive and act on reports involving women, children, and persons with special needs throughout the state.

The Ripple Effect

This program does more than respond to individual cases of violence. By training traditional leaders who hold enormous influence in rural communities, it changes the cultural conversation around protecting women.

When elders speak up instead of demanding silence, entire communities learn that violence against women isn't a private family matter but a public wrong that demands action. The 460 gender champions will carry these messages into daily life, creating networks of awareness and support where isolation once trapped victims.

Women farmers feed families and fuel local economies, and protecting them strengthens entire communities from the ground up.