By Bunmi Yekini
African traditional and cultural leaders joined government officials and international partners in Lagos on Monday to pledge stronger, coordinated action to end gender-based violence (GBV), as a high-level conference opened with calls to confront harmful social norms rooted in culture and custom.
The two-day Conference of African Traditional and Cultural Leaders on GBV Prevention, convened by the Ford Foundation and UN Women in collaboration with the Nigerian government, is bringing together prominent monarchs, policymakers and civil society actors from across the continent.
Participants include the Ooni of Ife, the Emir of Fika, the Emir of Shonga and traditional leaders from several African countries, alongside Lagos State officials, UN representatives and senior executives of the Ford Foundation.
Speaking on behalf of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state’s health commissioner, Akin Abayomi, said gender-based violence remained one of the most disruptive challenges facing African societies.
“Silence about GBV is no longer acceptable; change must be intentional,” Abayomi said. “Africa’s future depends on safe laws and just communities that nurture rather than harm.”
Ford Foundation President Heather Gerken said cultural legitimacy was critical to sustaining progress in protecting women and girls, noting that traditional and faith leaders had a key role in reshaping social norms.
“The challenges women and girls are facing across Africa are real, but so is the immense potential of this region to inspire new ways forward,” Gerken said. “We are proud to collaborate with leaders who are transforming harmful practices so women and girls can live to their fullest potential.”
From a global policy perspective, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda warned that many forms of abuse were deeply embedded in accepted practices.
“We know what we are calling marriage is actually sexual abuse of girls,” she said, adding that gender-based violence reflected deeper failures in systems meant to uphold equality and justice.
UN Women’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Maxime Houinato, described the conference as a turning point, stressing that culture was “foundational” to social order across Africa.
“When cultural authority aligns with justice, dignity and equality, communities become safer and institutions gain legitimacy,” Houinato said.
Other speakers echoed the message that culture is not fixed. Chichi Aniagolu, West Africa regional director of the Ford Foundation, said respected chiefs and elders across the continent had shown that ending harmful practices strengthened, rather than weakened, traditional authority.
Religious and customary law perspectives also featured prominently. The Emir of Shonga, Alhaji Haliru Yahaya Ndanusa, cautioned against the misuse of religion to justify abuse. “Anything that causes more harm than good is not Sharia,” he said.
UN Assistant Secretary-General and Nigeria’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall, told traditional leaders that their influence could be decisive in saving lives. “Communities listen to those they trust,” he said.
The conference, which runs until Feb. 3 in Lagos, is expected to produce a regional declaration and communiqué committing leaders to social norms transformation and GBV prevention, alongside a sustainability roadmap to embed traditional leadership in national and regional strategies.
Organisers said the outcomes aim to strengthen survivor-centred support at community level and formalise partnerships between traditional councils, governments, African Union bodies and civil society groups to scale up prevention efforts across the continent.