From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Traditional rulers across Cross River State are championing a renewed campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) and teenage pregnancies.
The monarchs urged a unified and sustained response from government agencies, civil society organisations, and local communities especially in rural areas where these issues are most prevalent.
They made their stand known during a series of stakeholders forums organised by the State Ministry of Women Affairs, in partnership with UN Women and support from the Ford Foundation.
The forums took place in three local government areas and aimed to sensitise royal fathers and community leaders on the urgent need for stronger local responses to the increasing threats facing women and girls.
In Creek Town, the Secretary of the Creek Town Traditional Rulers Council Ambassador Effefiong Eyo called for a revival of the traditional institutions as frontline agents of social protection.
“Traditional leaders must move from being passive observers to active defenders of the vulnerable in their communities. Our biggest setback is the lack of functional security outfits. These criminals exploit that vacuum, leading to rising cases of teenage pregnancy and cult activities,” he stated.
He highlighted the importance of intensifying community awareness of existing laws against harmful traditional practices and GBV.
Eyo called on the state government to collaborate with the Nigeria Police to rehabilitate and adequately staff the Creek Town Divisional Police Station as part of broader efforts to restore safety and order.
On his part, Chairman of the Ukelle Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Chief Ignatius Olam, expressed a willingness to abolish harmful cultural practices that violate human rights, particularly those affecting women and girls.
“We’re committed to discarding customs that are degrading or inhumane to women. But real progress requires structured systems for reporting, referrals, and prosecution,” Olam said.
Clan Head of Boje in Boki Local Government Area, HRH Leonard Akam, called for grassroots enlightenment campaigns delivered in local languages to ensure rural dwellers understand the laws designed to protect them.
“The government must drive awareness in local dialects and enforce laws against child marriage, human trafficking, female genital mutilation, and harmful widowhood rites,” Akam said.
He lamented that many community members and even some traditional leaders remain unaware of protective legislations such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, the Child Rights Law, and the Widowhood Inheritance Law.
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Edema Irom, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Rita Eteng, said the forums were part of strategic efforts to enlist traditional rulers as frontline allies in the fight against GBV.
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