In commemoration of 2025 International Women’s Day, the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “Safety First, Equality Always: Accelerating Action for Nigerian Women.”
The event which took place on Wednesday, March 12, brought together experts from various fields to discuss the persistent safety challenges faced by Nigerian women and the urgent need for systemic change.
Moderated by Mrs. Chidinma Chidoka, a Director at the Athena Centre, the panel discussion featured notable voices advocating for women’s rights and safety in Nigeria.
The panelists included Dame Dr. Ebele Veron Ulasi, JP MNIM (Director of Intelligence, Training and Manpower Development, NAPTIP, representing the Director General of NAPTIP), ACP Oluseyi Olabisi Okuwobi (National Coordinator, Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices), Prof. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe (Managing Partner, Health Ethics and Law Consulting), Mrs. Ekene Shogbanmu (representing the President of the Nigerian Air Force Officers Wives Association, Arc Dr. Rakiya Abubakar), and Maryam Ali (representing Omowumi Ogunrotimi, Executive Lead of Gender Mobile Initiative).
During the discussion, Prof. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe emphasised that safety is a fundamental prerequisite for human wellbeing. She noted that without physical safety, individuals struggle to attain mental and emotional stability.
“You can’t have wellbeing without safety. They are all interconnected. As human beings, physical safety is one of the most important things. If you are not physically safe, there are very low chances of having the mental comfort to live a normal life,” she stated.
Dr. Ebele Veron Ulasi identified gender stereotypes as a major impediment to achieving gender equality and safety for women in Nigeria and beyond.
“The most worrying problems are the stereotypes attributed to the female gender. That’s the major problem we have in America and especially Nigeria. If we achieve safety and gender equality, a lot of our socio-economic challenges can be addressed. It affects almost all aspects of our social life,” she remarked.
Similarly, ACP Oluseyi Olabisi Okuwobi stressed that patriarchy remains the biggest factor in the challenges women face in Nigeria, ranging from child marriage to sexual violence.
“We first need to look at who a woman is in Nigeria. We must remember that Nigeria is a highly patriarchal country, and that’s the main factor in most of the challenges women face. From the issue of underage marriage to rape, we need to look at these issues holistically and address them collectively.
“From the police perspective, we have seen cases where women refuse to report acts of violence against them because they fear stigma or lack of family support. We must address the fundamental issue, which is patriarchy,” she said.
The discussion also highlighted various forms of gender-based violence (GBV), including rape, female genital mutilation, and child marriage.
“It’s often said that Nigeria has the highest number of child marriages in Africa. The figures are really worrying,” Prof. Cheluchi noted.
ACP Oluseyi Olabisi provided insights into how the police force is working to mitigate GBV. However, she acknowledged a significant challenge: victims often refuse to pursue justice due to intimidation or financial inducement from their abusers.
“We have designed strategies to mitigate gender-based violence. But one of the challenges is that victims find it difficult to report cases. Even when investigations start, we realise that sometimes the perpetrator has offered them money to speak in their favour,” she revealed.
Maryam Ali, representing the Gender Mobile Initiative, shed light on their Campus Safety Initiative, which trains whistleblowers to report instances of sexual and financial harassment in universities.
“Students and staff don’t only experience gender-based violence but also sexual harassment. We train some to be whistleblowers so that we can get reports of sexual harassment. But it also includes financial harassment, where students are forced to pay a certain favour with either money or their bodies,” she explained.
In his closing address, Osita Chidoka, Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, emphasised the urgency of addressing women’s safety as a national priority.
“We cannot build a progressive society while half of our population lives in fear. Women’s safety is not just a women’s issue; it is a societal one. We must all commit to dismantling structures that perpetuate violence and discrimination against women,” he said.
The webinar concluded with a renewed call to action, urging stakeholders—including the government, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and the public—to work collaboratively in tackling gender-based violence and ensuring a safer society for all women.
