MEDIA ADVISORY
Under the Spotlight Initiative Hosted a Virtual Roundtable Conference with Traditional and Religious Leaders on Enhancing Community Surveillance to End Violence Against Women and Girls
WHAT: The joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative is hosting traditional and religious leaders in Nigeria to a virtual roundtable conference on ending violence against women and girls through enhanced community surveillance.
The proposed conference with religious and traditional leaders leverages on the declaration of the State of Emergency by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) against gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria under the EU-UN joint Spotlight Initiative and the End Violence Against Children Campaign (EVAC). Through this engagement, the Spotlight Initiative expects to secure the commitment of traditional and religious leaders to further the process of transforming social norms and to develop action plans on ending GBV and harmful practices. WHEN: Thursday, 6th August 2020 at 10.00 am.
WHO: Speakers to include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council Islamic Council for Islamic Affairs; President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Benebo Fubara-Manuel; Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline K. Tallen; EU Commissioner on Spotlight, Janez Lenarcic; UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, as well as survivors, women advocates, and child protection networks.
WHERE: Online via Zoom
WHY: Engaging traditional and religious leaders is a key approach of the prevention strategy of the spotlight initiative aimed at fostering positive collaborations with critical stakeholders in finding a lasting solution to end gender-based violence and harmful practices targeting women and girls and in promoting SRHR. This builds on past engagement with religious and traditional leaders, including with the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT) on the EVAC campaign, and holding them accountable to the communique signed at a Consultative Forum held on 26 February 2016 in Lagos, Nigeria.
The virtual roundtable also places in context the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on violence against women and girls which has disrupted the socio-economic and cultural settings of families and communities.
For media Inquiries: Judith.owoicho[at]one.un.org c.ifeanyi[at]unesco.org Mercedes.alfa[at]unwomen.org oakingbulu@unicef.org ajao@unfpa.org habib@unfpa.org idongesit.inyang@undp.org soremekun[at]un.org
