By Suzan Edeh
The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) in partnership with the UN Women has Launched a Compendium and Accountability Framework for Faith Actors in Nigeria on Ending Gender and Sexual-Based Violence.
Speaking at the event that held at AJuji hotel Gudu in Abuja with theme ‘Faith and Traditional Leaders for Ending GBV by Advancing Advocacy, Policy & Social Norms in Nigeria and West Africa – LEAP Project,’ organized by IDFP, the Co-chair of IDFP Nigeria, Rev. Abainitus Akila Hamman Jr said that faith leaders be it Christian, Muslim, and Traditional are called to be shepherds of justice, advocates of mercy, and protectors of the powerless, stressing that silence is no longer an option and excuses, cultural justifications, and spiritual misinterpretations must not be allowed to shield perpetrators or normalize abuse.
Rev Abainitus described Gender and sexual-based violence as moral crisis, saying that It is a violation of the dignity endowed by the Creator to every human being.
“Whether it takes the form of domestic abuse, child marriage, rape, female genital mutilation, or emotional trauma, GSBV dehumanizes, marginalizes, and destroys lives — particularly those of women and girls” he said
According to him, “It is with a deep sense of duty, humility, and shared hope that I welcome you today to this historic occasion — the launching of the Compendium and Accountability Framework for Faith Actors in Nigeria in our collective quest to end Gender and Sexual-Based Violence (GSBV)”
“As the Co-chair of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Forum for Peace, I stand before you representing not just a platform of dialogue, but a movement of conscience — one that recognizes the sacred responsibility entrusted to religious leaders and institutions in shaping our moral values, protecting the vulnerable, and speaking truth to injustice”
“Today, we launch not just a document, but a living commitment — a compendium that brings together theological reflections, doctrinal guidance, policy recommendations, and most importantly, an accountability framework that binds us as religious actors to a higher standard of conduct and response”
“This framework is not to shame, but to empower. It is a call for transparency in our religious institutions, for clear reporting pathways, for survivor-centered care, and for the harmonization of our voices across faith lines — Christian, Muslim, and Traditional — in the fight against GSBV”
Giving an overview of the project, the co-secretary of IDFP and co project director, Reverend Father Joseph Tile Nomhwange, said that the LEAP Project was designed to engage faith-based and traditional leaders as key actors in the prevention and response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), adding that the target States for the project are Benue, Bauchi, Ekiti and Kaduna.
He said that so far the project has mapped and elevated community actors, unified religious voices against SGBV, strengthened accountability systems, supported policy advocacy from the grassroots to government and left behind replicable models for other regions.