WABMA Tackles Gender-Based Violence, Convene Town Hall with Faith, Cultural Leaders

Leaders of faith, culture, civil society, and the media are set to converge in Enugu on October 31, 2024, a historic town hall meeting aimed at addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria.
Organized by the West Africa Broadcast & Media Academy (WABMA) Media Development Foundation and supported by the Ford Foundation, the town hall will bring together over 100 leaders from South East Nigeria to create a unified front against SGBV.
The event will be the first of its kind in which such a large-scale gathering of faith and cultural leaders has been dedicated to confronting SGBV in the region.
It aims to empower leaders to speak out against the violence and drive cultural shifts in attitudes toward gender-based violence.

“SGBV remains deeply rooted in societal norms, and addressing it requires changes in our cultural and faith-based practices,” said Mr. Odoh Diego Okenyodo, coordinator of WABMA’s Amplifying the Voices of Leaders of Faith and Culture Project. “We need leaders to be outspoken when it matters and to showcase those who are already actively fighting gender-based violence.”

Dr. Ken Ike Okere, Executive Director of the WABMA Foundation, emphasized the importance of leveraging influential voices to inspire change.
“When leaders of faith and culture take a stand, their voices can spark meaningful social shifts and motivate communities to act against gender-based violence,” Okere said, reaffirming WABMA’s dedication to using media as a powerful tool for societal transformation.

With a history of impactful social change initiatives across West Africa, WABMA has led projects like Project Fact Check Nigeria, a media literacy initiative with the US Consulate, and a collaboration with GIZ to enhance the response capabilities of the Gambia Police Force on SGBV issues.
Through this town hall, WABMA seeks to amplify these efforts, using cultural and faith-based perspectives to address and reduce SGBV across Nigerian communities.