By Mariam Kolawole

Community stakeholders including youths, traditional and religious leaders, law enforcement officers, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations converged at the National Union of Teachers (NUT) premises in Abeokuta on Thursday, June 26, 2025 for a townhall meeting organized  by the Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN).

The meeting with its theme:  ‘Partnership for enhanced violence against women and girls prevention among religious and traditional stakeholders in Ogun state’ featured panel discussions, call-ins from radio listeners and remarks by stakeholders present who gave recommendations on how to protect and ensure justice for women and girls in the state.

Mrs Oluwafunmilayo Abdullahi, in her opening remarks, call on community leaders to stop covering up injustices done to women and girls, and instead encourage them to speak up and support them in bringing the matter before the law.

Dr. Salami A. Fatai, the secretary of Ogun State council for Islamic Affairs advised Muslim leaders to take interest and create space for their members to confide in them and give them appropriate counsel. He also pledged to embark on capacity building for women and sensitivity training for muslim religious leaders.

Apostle Tola Adenekan of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Chapel of Faith Abeokuta states that “We must not keep pleading with abusers but instead hand them over to the authorities” stressing that Christianity is built on principles of love and peace and does not support dying in toxic marriages.

Alh. Adesina Adefolaran, educator and community leader, called for the protection of the female child warning parents whose children hawk or sell their wares describing their children as especially vulnerable. He  also urged neighbours to take note and be whistle-blowers against the exploitation of house helps.

Alhaji Adefolaran states the need to break the culture of silence and ignore the popular sentiment of staying for the children in an abusive marriage

Key Commitments from the Townhall include:

1. Religious leaders will no longer cover up but instead hand over perpetrators to the law.
2. Creating awareness of government provisions like helplines and agencies and advising community members to use them.
3. Encouraging believability and protecting the interests of PWDs, children from low income homes etc.
4. Pledges to give communal talks and training to community member with progress reports to CEWHIN.
5. Giving sex education in the right factual language to children and training the male child with gender equality.
6. Providing financial support for children so they do not seek it from strangers with ill intent.
7. Instilling religious values in children so they shun vices.
8. Changing cultural and religious definitions of endurance in marriage and encouraging divorce and involvement of the law as forms of behavioural modifications for marital issues.
9. Encouraging community members to “see something, say something”.
10. Encouraging women to be economically resourceful and not leave financial responsibility solely to their husbands.