Ebonyi: Stakeholders state why they want draft gender policy

Ebonyi State stakeholders have demanded that the state’s draft Gender Policy prioritise ending women’s exclusion from family inheritance and fixing weak enforcement of existing gender-related laws.

The demand topped a two-day consultative meeting held on June 9 and 10, 2026 in Abakaliki, the state capital, to develop the policy. 

It was organised by the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with UNFPA, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency.

Participants drawn from Civil Society Organisations and MDAs, including Women Affairs, Justice, Budget and Planning, Finance, Health, Information, the Police, and other security agencies, agreed that gender-based violence remains high. 

While GBV affects both sexes, they noted women and girls are the most vulnerable due to harmful widowhood practices, women disinheritance, early/forced marriage, boy-child preference, deliberate exclusion of women from leadership, and reproductive rights denial.

They raised concerns that despite the VAPP Law, Child Rights Law, and Maternal Mortality Law, their impact has not been felt due to poor implementation.

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Stakeholders insisted the Ebonyi State Gender Policy must prioritise women’s education, economic empowerment/inheritance rights, and political inclusion. 

They stressed that implementation strategies for existing laws should be strengthened with adequate punishment for individuals or institutions found obstructing justice in GBV cases.

Declaring the meeting open, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Felicia Nwamkpuma, described it as “a journey towards a truly equitable Ebonyi State”, stressing a modern prosperous state cannot be built on an unequal foundation.

Nwamkpuma said: “This is a Roadmap for Equity: This policy will serve as our official blueprint to mainstream gender into budgetary allocations, legislative frameworks, and socio-economic programs. 

“It will provide structured mechanisms to tackle Gender-Based Violence (GBV), improve girl-child education, and ensure equal economic opportunities for all.”

Represented by Director of Administration, Chief Charles Nwali, the Commissioner appreciated UNFPA for its continued support and urged participants to localise the draft.

She added: “Let us ensure localisation of context, community channels and resources.

“We are not here to copy a generic template, but we are here to draft a policy rooted in the realities, cultural nuances, and specific needs of the people of Ebonyi State.”

The Head of Department, Women Affairs and UNFPA Project Director, Nwakaego Igboke, said the objective was a document guaranteeing equality where “no one: man or woman, boy or girl, young or elderly, including people with disabilities is left behind in access to opportunities and benefits.”

Igboke noted the validated draft would become the state’s domesticated version of Nigeria’s 2021 National Gender Policy. 

She blamed poverty and ignorance for hindering the fight against GBV and expressed optimism the policy would reduce prevalence.

The Project Consultant Dr. Doris Aja-Okohu, said NDHS 2013, 2018, 2024 data show progress on GBV, women’s economic empowerment, child marriage and FGM has been slow.

“We looked at the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2013, 2018, and 2024 across all indicators: GBV, women economic empowerment, child marriage and FGM among others, and we found out that we have been progressing, but very slow.

“It shows that we are not really where we used to be, but we really need to work harder because a lot of progress needs to be made in most indicators such as women attendance to school, women economic independence, domestic violence and women inclusion in politics and leadership.

“I’m confident that what we have drafted will go a long way in addressing all issues around gender.”

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government (SSG), Prof. Grace Umezurike, represented by Patrick Opoke, and BERWO Executive Director, Chukwuma Elom, who spoke for CSOs.

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