Women in Bwari communities of the Federal Capital Territory say they are now taking frontline roles in addressing gender-based violence and domestic abuse through coordinated, community-based interventions.

They said this on Thursday in Bwari, Abuja, highlighting growing grassroots action against abuse and harmful cultural practices affecting women and children.

The women said they were deploying advocacy, mediation, and community support structures to protect vulnerable persons, resolve family disputes, and ensure victims are guided toward safety, justice, and emotional recovery.

A survey of community interactions shows that mothers often serve as the first point of contact for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of gender-based violence.

A women leader in Baran-goni community, Hausa Amos, said women were increasingly using organised group platforms to confront abuse, promote awareness, and encourage peaceful coexistence within households and the wider community.

According to her, some rural women still experience alleged physical abuse from husbands during family disagreements or periods of economic hardship, leaving many victims silent due to stigma and financial dependence.

“Gone are the days of silence, we are not throwing these matters under the carpet anymore.

“We have become advocates through our women associations, cooperative groups, and religious gatherings to educate families on peaceful coexistence, respect for women’s rights and dignity and the dangers of abuses,” she said.

Ms Amos said that mothers played key roles in early detection of abuse, encouraging victims to speak out, and helping them access mediation, community leaders, health workers, or security agencies when necessary.

She added that many mothers now actively taught children, especially boys, values of respect, equality, and non-violence to prevent future cases of domestic and gender-based abuse in their communities.

However, she acknowledged that despite the efforts, several women still faced cultural, social, and economic barriers that limited their ability to confront gender-based violence effectively at the community level.

She urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, teachers, and community volunteers to strengthen sensitisation efforts and collaborate on sustained campaigns against gender-based violence across rural communities.

Similarly, a church women fellowship member, Maryamu Obadiah, said women’s voices were helping to break the long-standing culture of silence around gender-based violence and increasing awareness of women’s rights.

She said the progress had been driven by repeated sensitisation during community meetings, women’s gatherings, and informal platforms, including health-related outreach programmes in some local health facilities.

However, Ms Obadiah identified cultural beliefs, fear of stigma, economic dependence, and limited access to justice as key barriers preventing some victims from reporting abuse or leaving harmful relationships.

“Many cases of domestic violence are still treated as private family matters, making it difficult for women to seek justice.

“There’s also the absence of counselling centres and trained support personnel in many of our rural communities that can assist victims.

“We will not relent; we will keep doing our part as much as we can to reduce extreme cases that may result to fatality,” she said.

A Bwari resident, Cynthia Bethel-Nwoko, said that while awareness was increasing, some victims still choose to remain in abusive situations due to fear, dependency, and concern for their children’s welfare.

According to her, some women avoid taking action because they feel they have nowhere else to go or fear that reporting abuse can escalate violence within their homes.

“I have this neighbour whose husband is emotionally and domestically violent towards her, but anytime she comes to me crying and seeking solutions and I try to seek help for her, she turned it down.

“She will either say she does not want the police involved, or that it may affect her children or make her husband angrier and take drastic actions against her. Sadly, she apparently chose to remain in her condition,” she added.

Ms Bethel-Nwoko said that though personal choices might be difficult, persistent advocacy was necessary, adding that it was important to “keep hitting the nail on the head until it meets the target.”

She urged men across all professions to support the campaign by promoting respect, peaceful coexistence, and responsibility within families, communities, and society at large.

She also called on government agencies, traditional institutions, and non-governmental organisations to intensify awareness campaigns and strengthen legal protection mechanisms for survivors of abuse.

“Providing legal protection and empowering women economically through their various groups and associations can also help reduce gender-based violence in rural areas.

“This would significantly contribute to building safer and healthier communities,” she said.

(NAN)