|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Summary
Project Alert convened a Lagos town hall on “Male Involvement to End Violence Against Women and Girls” to mark the 16 Days of Activism on November 27, 2025. Community and religious leaders, advocates, and surveillance teams discussed dismantling harmful norms, improving responses to SGBV, and promoting male accountability, renewing commitments to grassroots action.
In its ongoing effort to tackle sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) at the grassroots level, Project Alert on Violence Against Women convened a town hall meeting titled “Male Involvement to End Violence Against Women and Girls” on November 27, 2025, at the LCCI Conference and Exhibition Centre, Lagos. The event formed part of activities marking the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, observed globally from November 25 to December 10.
The town hall brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, community advocates, surveillance team members, civil society representatives, and government stakeholders to engage in critical conversations, capacity-building sessions, and collective reflection on the role of men in preventing and responding to SGBV.
Opening the event, Dr Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, Founder of Project Alert, commended all attendees, especially the community surveillance teams across various local government areas in Lagos, for their frontline work in responding to cases of violence. She also lauded the presence of traditional and religious leaders, describing them as critical gatekeepers in shaping community values and behaviours.
Dr Effah-Chukwuma stated, “Prevention is better than cure,” emphasising the need for proactive community interventions rather than reactive responses. She urged faith leaders to use religion as a tool for liberation rather than one that reinforces harmful gender stereotypes.
Her remarks were reinforced by the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Ms Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, who delivered the opening address. She praised the male participants for committing to the dialogue, noting that men have a crucial responsibility in dismantling cycles of violence within families and communities.
The first training session, “Preventing SGBV: Redefining Masculinity and Challenging Harmful Cultural Norms,” was facilitated by Mr Habeeb Balogun, representing Mr Vincent Dania, Programme Coordinator at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD). The session unpacked how rigid gender roles and toxic masculine ideals reinforce male entitlement, a culture of silence, and impunity   conditions that often enable violence.
Participants examined how cultural norms, family structures, and societal expectations contribute to SGBV and proposed community-based strategies for prevention. Alhaji Lateef Kayode Akinborode, the Founding Director of the Community Women’s Rights Foundation, emphasised the importance of traditional rulers in spearheading local interventions. He also encouraged community surveillance teams to collaborate with NGOs and relevant government agencies rather than handle cases in isolation.
Other contributors highlighted the absence of political leaders and law enforcement officials at dialogues of this nature, describing their involvement as crucial for sustainable change. Participants also called for a shift from treating SGBV as a “family matter” to recognising it as a human rights and justice issue, while advocating for greater inclusion of women in political leadership as part of broader structural reform.
In the second session, Barrister Samuel Akpologun spoke on “Responding to SGBV: The Role of Men and Boys in the Community.” He equipped participants with practical tools for intervention, emphasising that mishandled responses often deepen trauma and enable perpetrators.
According to him, the Lagos State DSVA recorded over 8,692 reported cases of SGBV between August 2024 and July 2025, stressing that this figure likely represents only a fraction of actual cases, as cases of gender based violence are still very underreported. He also raised concerns about the growing trend of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which frequently goes unreported and unaddressed.
Barr. Akpologun warned against treating cases individually, urging participants to understand proper reporting channels, work as organised teams, and avoid shielding perpetrators under the guise of protecting community reputation. He charged the men to model non-violent behaviour and mentor younger boys toward healthier expressions of masculinity.
The town hall concluded with an interactive session where members of the community surveillance teams shared field experiences. Mr Olusanya from the Surulere team recounted a case involving the sexual abuse of a minor by a powerful individual, where family efforts failed until the case was reported to him as a member of the community surveillance team. Upon escalating the case to Project Alert, they swiftly intervened, ensuring justice for the survivor.
Similarly, Mr Gbenga Oguniyi from Alimosho highlighted how financial dependence and social stigma often force survivors to withdraw cases, while representatives from Ajegunle/Ifelodun spoke on how “bro code” culture among men sometimes enables perpetrators.
In her closing remarks, Dr Effah-Chukwuma urged religious and traditional leaders to extend the lessons from the town hall to other clerics, chiefs, and members of the community, stressing that sustainable change begins with continuous community education.
The meeting ended with male participants pledging to become responsible first responders and advocates for a violence-free society ,  signalling renewed collective commitment toward ending gender-based violence in Lagos and beyond.
