By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has called on religious leaders across the country to end the misuse of sacred texts in ways that reinforce gender-based violence (GBV) and women’s subordination.
The call came during FIDA’s second annual dialogue for religious leaders held in Lagos, with the theme: “Strengthening Religious Institutions in Preventing GBV.” The meeting, supported by the Ford Foundation, brought together Christian, Muslim, and traditional faith leaders to discuss how faith-based teachings can be used to promote equality and protect vulnerable groups.
Speaking at the dialogue, FIDA Nigeria Country Vice President, Mrs. Eliana Martins, noted that religion, when interpreted wrongly, often becomes a tool for justifying control, abuse, and the normalization of violence within homes.
She pointed to the frequent misuse of doctrines on “male headship” to excuse intimate partner violence and reinforce patriarchal attitudes.
“The insistence on women’s subordination based on religious ideology fuels violence and sustains control over women and girls,”
Martins said.
“Many women have been conditioned to believe inequality is divinely ordained, which makes them resistant to change.”
Also speaking, Imam Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, Secretary of the NASFAT Mission Board and Head of Islamic Studies at Markez University College, stressed that Islam does not permit violence against women.
He noted that women are guaranteed rights to education, inheritance, personal property, dignity, and autonomy in Islam.
“A husband cannot dictate how a woman spends her earnings. Islam does not condone wife battery, neglect, or humiliation,”
he said, adding that harmful practices are cultural, not religious.
Similarly, Rev. Marcel Onwuka of Grace and Mercy Ministry attributed the rise in GBV to ignorance and cultural beliefs wrongly framed as divine instruction.
He maintained that the Bible teaches equality and compassion, not domination.
The dialogue also spotlighted early and forced marriage, with Mrs. Nnena Eze, Chairperson of FIDA Ikeja, referencing the widely discussed marriage of actress Regina Daniels to Senator Ned Nwoko as an example of how economic pressures influence child marriage.
Recounting her own near-forced marriage at age 15, she warned that early marriage strips young girls of identity, purpose, and emotional stability.
“Material comfort cannot replace personal happiness,”
she said.
“Religious and community leaders must discourage early marriage and protect the girl-child.”
FIDA emphasized that eliminating GBV requires strong collaboration among faith institutions, civil society, community networks, and government structures.
