Minister, women journalists unite against sexual, gender-based violence

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Nigeria’s minister of women’s affairs, has joined forces with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists to call for an end to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) against women in Nigeria.

The urgent appeal was made at a high-level event in Abuja on November 13, 2024, where the minister emphasised the need for collective action to protect vulnerable children and women from SGBV.

The event tagged, ‘Collaborative Pathways to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Roadmap,’ featured a cultural presentation highlighting harmful practices against women and girls. The minister and women journalists stressed the importance of unity and collective effort to achieve their goals.

This call to action is particularly significant, given Nigeria’s alarming rates of SGBV.

According to UNICEF reports, 43 percent of girls in Nigeria are married off before their 18th birthday, and 17 percent are married before they turn 15

The minister’s appeal is a crucial step towards addressing these issues and promoting gender equality in Nigeria.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim, in her remarks, expressed desire to learn and work with women groups, as well as past
omen Affairs ministers.

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Her primary goal, she said, “is to achieve more for women, girls, and men in the country.”

The event featured a cultural presentation by the NAWOJ FCT, highlighting cultural practices harmful to women and girls.

The presentation offered solutions to the negative practices as the minister emphasised the need for more attention on vulnerable children to protect them from SGBV.

Also speaking, Bassey Ita Ikpang, chairperson, NAWOJ FCT, while speaking on the numerous challenges suffered by women across different cultures in Nigeria, charged the women to be united to help them achieve their visions.

She noted that with unity of purpose in the NAWOJ FCT, they were able to shatter the stereotype of only men holding the chairmanship position in the union.

“For the first time in 43 years, a woman, Grace Ike, emerged chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council.”

Grace Ike, the newly elected chairman of the NUJ, FCT, emphasised the power of unity among women and encouraged them to be intentional about their beliefs and work hard towards achieving their goals.

Ruth Tene Natsa

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.