Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has declared that traditional rulers are the “first line of defence” in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, urging them to embed zero tolerance into cultural norms and community practices.

Speaking at the National Convening of Traditional Leaders on GBV Prevention during the 2025 16 Days of Activism, the Minister revealed that one in three Nigerian women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime, with seventy percent of cases occurring at home at the hands of intimate partners or trusted persons. She told monarchs, elders, and cultural custodians: “We remember the lives lost. We honour survivors. And we reaffirm our commitment to a Nigeria where every woman and girl can live free from fear.”

While celebrating the domestication of the Child Rights Act in all thirty-six states and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in thirty-five states plus the Federal Capital Territory, she cautioned that laws alone cannot eliminate violence unless they are integrated into cultural norms. She stressed that the leadership of traditional rulers is indispensable in ensuring communities embrace zero tolerance.

The Minister announced the launch of a National Audit on Women’s Inclusion in Traditional Governance to map representation and spotlight gender-inclusive communities. She also expressed strong support for the creation of Special Parliamentary Seats for Women to strengthen policy-making and confirmed that the upcoming Third National Action Plan (NAP III) on UNSCR 1325 will formally recognize monarchs as frontline custodians in the fight against gender-based violence.

Aligning the campaign with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, she highlighted flagship programmes reaching millions of women, including the Women Agricultural Value Enterprise (WAVE) targeting ten million women farmers, solar home lighting for half a million women, and a clean cooking initiative protecting more than ninety-eight thousand women and children annually from harmful fumes.

Declaring that “no nation can sustainably reduce gender-based violence when women are excluded from leadership,” Sulaiman-Ibrahim urged traditional rulers to carry the advocacy beyond Abuja into palaces and community dialogues, embedding protection and inclusion into everyday cultural practice.