The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, has concluded the first phase of the Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection (LEAP) Project, marking the end of a three-year initiative aimed at combating gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful traditional practices across West Africa.
The project engaged 1,086 traditional, religious and community leaders and directly impacted more than 500,000 people through grassroots interventions designed to challenge harmful social norms and strengthen protection for women and girls.
Among its major achievements were the prevention of several planned child marriages and support for the development of Nigeria’s first National Gender-Based Violence Prevention Strategy, a milestone expected to enhance community-led efforts to end violence against women and girls.
Speaking at the project’s close-out ceremony, Acting Deputy Representative of UN Women, Patience Ekeoba, said gender-based violence can be prevented when communities take ownership of efforts to transform harmful beliefs and promote positive cultural values.
Also speaking, Ford Foundation Programme Officer, Dr. Izeduwa Derex-Briggs, stressed that laws alone cannot bring lasting social change, noting that sustainable progress is achieved when communities become active drivers of change rather than passive beneficiaries.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of women and girls. She said cultural traditions should promote justice, dignity and inclusion while creating opportunities for girls to realise their full potential and contribute to national and regional development.
Although the LEAP Project has formally ended, UN Women and the Ford Foundation announced the launch of a new regional initiative, “Community-Led Advocacy and Digital Spaces for the Safety of Women and Girls in West Africa.” The programme is expected to address emerging threats, particularly technology-facilitated and online gender-based violence, while consolidating the gains achieved under the LEAP Project.
