By RismadarVoice Reporter, December 3, 2025
Religious and traditional leaders are admonished to be in the vanguard of the campaign to end digital violence against women and girls in Nigeria.
According to the Side-by-Side Interfaith movement, religious and traditional leaders act as gate keeper with trust and moral mandate bestowed on them, even as that they are mentors saddled with the responsibility to influence, bridge gaps and mobilize their members and subjects against digital violence.
This is coming on the heels of report that reveals that 83 percent of women are violated digitally with 1 in every 3 girl also, violated through digital violence in Nigeria.
This charge was made at a one-day training organized by Side-by-Side Interfaith movement for pastors/imams as well as traditional rulers in Makurdi, Benue State, as part of the 16 days activism to end the menace of digital violence against women and girls.
Co-chairman of the movement, Archbishop Cephas Okwori urged clerics and other stakeholders to always denounce digital violence openly, preach and communicate about it.
Okwori added that they must organize digital literacy and provide digital engagement for the youth and women.
“You must integrate talks against digital violence in your sermons while the traditional rulers who are a vital link between the rural communities and government should ensure that policies put in place by government have cultural values for the people.
” I urge you to speak on the consequences of digital violence and bullying but restrain from been perpetrators. Be amplifiers of community voice. You should also, collaborate with local and international networks in the fight against this criminal act.
“As leaders, you should adopt the LEAP approach of learn, empathize, affirm and provide support for victims of digital violence”, he stated.
