By Chukwuma Umeorah
The Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) has joined forces with UN Women in a renewed effort to combat gender-based violence (GBV) across all communities. This partnership aims to engage religious leaders from various denominations, encouraging their active participation in addressing and preventing violence targeted at women.
OAIC National President, Israel Akinadewo, made this call in a statement ahead of the ‘Two-day Sensitisation Workshop on GBV Prevention for OAIC’s Faith Leaders in Nigeria’, scheduled to commence on Thursday in Lagos.
Akinadewo highlighted that the workshop, organised in collaboration with UN Women, LEAP, the Ford Foundation, and OAIC, seeks to enhance the understanding of gender-based violence, its causes, and preventive measures. “There is a need for gender-based violence awareness, causes, prevention, and how religious leaders could facilitate the eradication,” he stated.
The initiative is expected to empower faith leaders with the knowledge and tools to address GBV within their communities, aligning with broader efforts to reduce violence against women.