The First Lady of Katsina State, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda, has called for stronger political commitment, sustained investment and community action to eliminate harmful social norms that fuel Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), describing the menace as a major obstacle to development and economic growth.
At the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum (NGSF)-Ford Foundation State-Level Advocacy Engagement held in Katsina on July 1, 2026, the First Lady said preventing gender-based violence requires collective efforts from government, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, the media and communities.
She said SGBV should no longer be viewed as a private or social issue alone but as a development challenge, public health concern, governance issue and economic burden that weakens families and denies society its human potential.
“I sincerely appreciate the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum, the Ford Foundation and all our partners for their commitment and continued support in our collective efforts to protect women, girls and other vulnerable members of our communities,” she said.
Hajiya Zulaihat noted that while the 2020 declaration of a State of Emergency on Gender-Based Violence by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum demonstrated strong political will, the country must now focus on implementation, stronger institutions, adequate funding and sustained commitment.
According to her, prevention remains the most humane, cost-effective and sustainable response to gender-based violence.
She explained that violence thrives where harmful social norms are tolerated, laws are weakly enforced and communities are not empowered to become part of the solution.
The First Lady said the NGSF-Ford Foundation initiative seeks to address these gaps through policy advocacy, community mobilisation, behaviour change communication and stronger accountability mechanisms while strengthening existing government institutions rather than creating parallel structures.
She also stressed the need to tackle economic vulnerability, identifying it as one of the key drivers of violence against women and girls.
According to her, women who lack access to income, financial services, productive assets and economic opportunities face greater risks of abuse and often have limited options to escape violent situations.
The First Lady described the National Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, approved by the Federal Government in 2023, as a critical framework for unlocking the economic potential of women and promoting national prosperity.
She commended Katsina State for initiating the domestication of the policy but urged authorities to move beyond policy formulation to implementation.
“The true measure of our success will not be the existence of policy documents, but the number of women who gain access to sustainable livelihoods, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship opportunities and economic independence,” she said.
Addressing government officials during an advocacy meeting, Hajiya Zulaihat appealed for accelerated domestication of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy, with its integration into state planning, budgeting and implementation frameworks.
She also called for a clear implementation timeline to ensure women begin to benefit from tangible economic opportunities.
The First Lady further appealed for executive support in five key areas: prioritising GBV prevention as a governance and public safety issue, increasing budgetary allocation for prevention and survivor support, enforcing existing laws including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act, strengthening community-led social norm transformation initiatives, and fast-tracking the implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment Policy.
She maintained that economic empowerment and gender-based violence prevention are closely linked, noting that economically secure women contribute to stronger families, safer communities and more stable households.
Calling on all stakeholders to move beyond commitments, the First Lady urged traditional and religious leaders, parents, young people, development partners and the media to become champions of prevention and promote dignity, equality and safety for women and girls across Katsina State.
“Together, we can build a safer, more inclusive and more prosperous Katsina State for this generation and for generations yet unborn,” she said.
