The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has hold it's annual Dialogue with the Plateau State Council of Traditional Leaders on Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls 2025, calling for deliberate efforts in mitigating the raised in cases of violence against Women in the country. 

The Chairperson FIDA Plateau Branch, Barr. Naankus Fyaktu at the two days dialogue with traditional rulers held at Fox Hotel in Jos the Plateau State capital, said the project with the support of Ford Foundation is aimed at developing community bylaws that will further enhanced the fight against gender based violence in rural communities. 

She maintained that traditional rulers have expressed their readiness to detached themselves from some of the traditional factors that has over the years continued to fuel the menace of violence against women and girls in the state. 

Fyaktu maintained that gender based violence in the state is endemic and traditional rulers who are the gate keepers are at the centre of the solutions by developing a locally led strategies based on the norms of the communities in preventing and combatting GBV. 

"This engagement with the traditional rulers is to ensure they all go back to their respective communities and meet with their people and come to an agreement that this traditional practice is causing our communities." 

The Senior Manager, Programs, Partnerships and Operations Fikih Obaro noted that the engagement towards a by-law is part of the sustainability plan where harmful practices will be eliminated and replaced with civil way of life going forward. 

The Chairperson of Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunity Commission, Barr. Olivia Dazyem noted that some traditional practices have been criminalise hence the need for traditional rulers and communities to also adjust and avoid being caught off by the laws of the land. 

She noted thus, "Our traditional leaders are now understanding the message with a resolved to go back and do something especially on the negatives traditional practices that has affected their communities like the female genital mutilation, inheritance among others.

"A community by-law should say this traditional practice or that we don't want it again, some of the traditional practices have been criminalise if they don't know. We have the Violence Against Persons (VAP) law on the Plateau, we have the Gender and Equal Opportunity law on the Plateau, we have the Child's Right Law on the Plateau, and the Penal Code Law itself," She cautioned.

Dazyem added, "Part of the negative practices is what is in the brain of a boy child who sees himself as superior to a girl child and this comes with some sort of pride. Some of the narratives is that a boy child shouldn't go into the kitchen, if a female child is not there, his wife is not there, his mother is not there, and he doesn't have money to buy food in a restaurant what did you think will happen?

"So, this sense of pride in the boy child as a result of tradition is getting to a point where he says why would I go to school? After all our tradition has it that if my father died I will inherit everything, my sister can not inherit it. Is a dangerous practices because the boys are getting it and they're leaving schools practically waiting for their parents to go," She lamented.

His Royal Highness, Adagwom Nyam Daniel Ajiji, a village head Fubur District of Jos East local government area among other traditional rulers are of the opinion that the bylaw will further enhanced their operations as traditional rulers who are often left in a tight corner to exercise their responsibilities.