By Ukpa Ewa
Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre (GPSDC), with support from the Women Aid Collective (WACOL), has trained Umuada women from Nkpor in Idemili North and Nibo in Awka South Local Government Areas of Anambra State on the prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and promotion of community reforms.
The two-day residential training, held on September 23 and 24, 2026, in Awka, was organised under the project, “Empowering Christian Women and Women Leaders of Culture for Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria Through the Strengthening of Grassroots Organizations.”
Addressing the participants on “Umuada, Community Leadership and Institutional Change,” the Executive Director of GPSDC, Mrs. Eucharia Anekwe, charged the women to deliberately develop their leadership capacity, stressing that leadership and management skills could be learned. She identified honesty, commitment, effective communication and confidence as qualities required of effective leaders.
Anekwe urged the Umuada to understand their roles, coordinate their structures and work collectively to address GBV and other harmful practices at the community level. She said strengthening the Umuada was aimed at equipping them to take action within their communities. She also called for institutional reforms that would promote accountability, women’s participation and effective leadership, citing the successful advocacy by Umuada in Nkpor for a change in its leadership structure after a president remained in office for more than 30 years. The Executive Director advocated for rotational leadership and constitutional reforms to strengthen women’s participation in community governance.
Earlier in his remarks, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of GPSDC, Mr. Mmadubueze Christian stated that the organisation’s previous phase focused largely on responding to GBV cases, including interventions in Nibo and Nkpor, while the current phase places greater emphasis on prevention and community-level action.
Speaking on “Culture, Faith and Gender-Based Violence Prevention,” the Coordinator, Umuada Igbo Nigeria and in Diaspora, Dr. Winnie Arinze, described women as custodians of culture and faith with significant influence over practices and attitudes in their communities. Quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she said, “Culture does not make people, people make culture,” and advised Umuada to use their influence to protect women and girls rather than shame victims. She also called for the involvement of men and boys in GBV prevention and urged women to challenge jokes, proverbs and social norms that normalise abuse, stressing that GBV was community issue.
On “Christian Faith, Women’s Dignity and Gender-Based Violence Prevention,” a representative of the Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Mrs. Nonye Okpeze, cautioned churches against responses that encourage women to endure abuse in silence. She advocated responses based on love, justice, responsibility, restoration and protection rather than treating GBV as a family matter or simply asking survivors to pray about abuse.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager of GPSDC, Mrs. Ozoemena Ogochukwu, identified gender inequality, unequal power relations and harmful social norms as major factors driving GBV. She explained that the training was designed to equip women leaders with practical knowledge and skills to move from responding to GBV cases to preventing violence before it occurs. Mrs. Oluchi Chikwunie of GPSDC also facilitated a session on women’s rights, gender equality and accountability, while participants were trained on advocacy, identifying issues requiring change, developing advocacy messages and engaging traditional, religious and community leaders.
The participating Umuada leaders shared experiences of GBV and harmful practices in their communities and committed to taking the lessons from the training back home. They pledged to speak against practices and policies that perpetuate violence and create safe and confidential pathways through which survivors can seek help. High point of the training was presentation of the Umuada Advocacy and Institutional Reform Action Plan, which outlined practical steps the women leaders would take to promote GBV prevention and community-level change.
Ukpa Ewa is of the Ministry of Information and Value Reformation Anambra State.
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