As the world commemorates International Women’s Day, a non-governmental organisation, Protect The Child Foundation (PTCF), has intensified efforts to combat harmful traditional practices and gender-based violence in Kogi State by promoting culture as a tool for social transformation.
With support from the French Embassy Fund, the foundation organised an “Art and Impact” event alongside the dissemination of its Project Ebulejonu, an initiative aimed at addressing challenges faced by women and girls, including systemic discrimination, harmful cultural practices, and sexual and gender-based violence.
Speaking at the event in Lokoja the state capital , the Executive Director of PTCF, Elizabeth Achimugu, stressed the urgent need to end gender-based violence while promoting inclusion for women and persons with disabilities.
According to her “Culture is beautiful, but it has often been misused as a driver of sexual and gender-based violence,” she said. “People hide behind culture to deny women inheritance rights or justify practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. We are here to show that culture can also be a powerful force for positive change”
Achimugu cited historical examples, noting that Ebulejonu, the first Attah of Igala, was a woman, an indication that culture can support female leadership and inclusion, saying “Our culture supports women, vulnerable groups, and children. Rather than viewing culture as a problem, we must rediscover its positive values. Culture is our identity, our root”
She called on governments at all levels to integrate cultural values into policies and programmes aimed at social development, urging government to design programmes that reflect cultural realities.
“When people hear stories of female heroes who shaped society, it helps counter harmful narratives. Culture must not be eroded by modernisation” she said.
Achimugu further emphasised that culture should never be used to justify harm, emphasizing that “We must reshape our traditions to promote dignity, equality, and protection for all, especially women and children”
On Project Ebulejonu, she explained that the initiative seeks to create an inclusive environment that protects the rights of women and adolescent girls while preventing gender-based violence through advocacy, sensitisation, and economic empowerment.
“Project Ebulejonu is not just an intervention; it is a movement, when knowledge replaces silence, empowerment replaces dependence, and communities choose justice over harmful traditions, change becomes inevitable” she stated.
Achimugu however outlined the project’s objectives to include engaging religious and traditional leaders to speak against gender-based violence, empowering women and persons with disabilities with entrepreneurial and digital skills, raising awareness through media campaigns, and improving the reporting of abuse cases.
In their separate remarks, the Secretary of the Kogi NGOs Network, Reuben Joshua, and the Onu Igala of Kabba, Onuche Isaac, highlighted the critical role of traditional institutions in addressing harmful practices.
While urging community leaders to take responsibility for ending practices that harm women and children, Joshua said that civil society actors and traditional rulers remain committed to eliminating traditions that fuel inequality and violence in the society.
Similarly, Onuche Isaac noted that cultural custodians must take the lead in redefining norms that undermine human dignity.
Also speaking, human rights activist Joy Akinola emphasised the need to break the culture of silence surrounding abuse.
“Women must be empowered to speak up. Silence only perpetuates the problem. Protecting women, children, and persons with disabilities is a shared responsibility,” she said.
Stakeholders at the event agreed that cultural reorientation is essential to achieving gender equality and increasing women’s participation in leadership, noting that positive cultural values can serve as a foundation for a more inclusive and equitable society.