Kwara communities adopt grassroots charters to combat gender-based violence

Communities across Kwara State have begun adopting locally developed social charters and grassroots response systems to tackle gender-based violence (GBV), with early signs of increased community ownership and behavioural change. The initiative, supported by the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), enables communities to co-create and enforce social charters that define acceptable conduct and outline […]

Communities across Kwara State have begun adopting locally developed social charters and grassroots response systems to tackle gender-based violence (GBV), with early signs of increased community ownership and behavioural change.

The initiative, supported by the Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), enables communities to co-create and enforce social charters that define acceptable conduct and outline consequences for abuse, particularly within marriage.

In communities such as Alalubosa, Agbarere and Ganmo, the charters—developed with input from traditional, religious, youth and women leaders—are already influencing social norms and responses to GBV.

Women in several of the communities have also formed informal groups to discuss marital abuse, identified as one of the most common forms of GBV, and to explore pathways for support, reporting and prevention.

These developments were highlighted at the second GBV Prevention Statewide Event in Ilorin, where BBYDI unveiled a documentary chronicling two years of engagement with grassroots actors and traditional institutions.

The organisation also launched a range of knowledge products, including a Yoruba-translated version of its GBV Prevention Advocacy Toolkit, with plans to expand into other local languages to improve accessibility.

Representing the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, Dr. Usman Atolagbe Abubakar Jos reaffirmed the Emirate’s support for sustained community-led action and accountability in addressing GBV.

Similarly, the Emir of Ilesha Baruba, Prof. Halidu Abubakar, emphasised the role of traditional institutions in rejecting harmful practices, while the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, called for stronger collaboration between traditional rulers, government and civil society.

In her keynote address, Professor Saudat Salah Abdulbaqi of the University of Ilorin said traditional leaders play a critical role in shaping social norms.

“What leaders tolerate becomes culture, and what they condemn begins to change,” she said.

Also speaking, Izeduwa Derex-Briggs of the Ford Foundation said the organisation’s support is focused on prevention. “We are invested in ensuring that GBV does not happen,” she said.

BBYDI Executive Director, Nurah Jimoh-Sanni, said communities are moving beyond awareness to action. “Communities are defining their own standards and taking responsibility for enforcement,” she said.

More than 200 stakeholders, including policymakers, security agencies, development partners and traditional rulers, attended the event.

The programme, supported by the Ford Foundation, is set to expand its community-led model and strengthen coordination to address emerging forms of violence, including those linked to technology.