The National Human Rights Commission has identified harmful traditional practices as the most common form of violence against women and girls in Abia.

The NHRC coordinator in Abia, Uche Nwokocha, made this known to newsmen in Umuahia during a rally to kick off 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Ms Nwokocha described harmful traditional practices as customs, behaviours, or rituals deeply ingrained in certain cultures or societies that have detrimental effects on individuals, communities, or specific groups.

She said the practices ranked highest among the over 600 complaints received by the commission so far in 2025. According to her, these complaints are arising because people are becoming aware and now know what to do.

Ms Nwokocha raised the alarm against the disinheritance of girls and widows, saying that people scrambled  for late husbands’ and fathers’ property, “trying to disinherit their children”.

She also described infertility rituals and oaths as other harmful practices, which women were now coming out to complain about.

She said, “Men force their wives to take oath, and the community will support them because the husband said that she had cheated. The woman will be forced to go and take oath to show that she has not cheated. For that of infertility rituals, the woman has not cheated, but the man wants her to swear that she will never cheat on him.

“He will go and place some kind of ritual on her and her family so that if she cheats on him, she, her brothers and sisters will die. They say that it has been going on, but women have not been complaining about it. Now, we are receiving complaints about this and some people even try to tell me that it is their cultural practice.”

Also, the director of the National Orientation Agency in the state, Victor Orji, called for concerted efforts to fight GBV.

“It’s not just about women or men, it’s about everybody. So, that’s why we are supporting this campaign, to make sure that people  behave responsibly,” Mr Orji said.

(NAN)