dRPC Mobilizes Grandmothers to Tackle Gender-Based Violence in Northern Nigeria
The Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), a non-profit organization, has partnered with the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs to launch the Grannies Network for Change (G-NEC). This innovative initiative aims to mitigate the growing menace of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Kano and Jigawa states. The network was established in response to alarming research findings that indicate a rising rate of GBV in these regions, prompting a search for alternative, solution-based approaches to address these critical issues.
Research-Driven Advocacy Effort
The G-NEC project is designed to mobilize grandmothers in Kano and Jigawa to lead advocacy campaigns across both social and physical platforms. Their mission is to combat and prevent increasing cases of rape, sexual abuse, and other forms of violence against women and girls. According to the project, the NDHS 2025 economic rights indices reveal a national level of 22%, with Kano and Jigawa states at 40% and 42%, respectively. These figures highlight a high prevalence of restrictions on women's ability to work outside the home, exacerbating vulnerabilities to GBV.
At a meeting held at the Ministry of Women Affairs, dRPC Program Associate Saadatu Tijjani explained the rationale behind engaging grandmothers. She emphasized their significant influence on young mothers and women within society. "We are concerned with economic rights denial leading to poor girls' education and school drop-out, which exacerbates early marriages, leading to increased gender-based violence in Kano and Jigawa States," Tijjani stated.
Goals and Strategies of the G-NEC Project
The primary goal of G-NEC is to support three new low-level leadership groups within traditional society: grandmothers, local-level village heads, and village Imams as male allies. These groups have often been neglected in past GBV projects but are now being positioned as champions for change. Tijjani added, "GNEC will be an intergenerational intervention project where youth will be engaged and educated on the salient issues around GBV prevention, especially economic denials and girls' education."
Furthermore, the project aims to strengthen the capacities of grandmothers at state and local levels to influence behavioral change among husbands within households. This effort is intended to ensure wives have economic rights and girl children can attend school, thereby addressing root causes of GBV.
Cultural Significance and Community Impact
Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Amina Sani, highlighted why the project focuses on grandmothers. She described them as the primary "custodians of culture and moral values" within communities. The commissioner explained that the strategy is grounded in groundbreaking research by dRPC, which revealed that in multigenerational households, grandmothers are the most influential arbiters of gender norms and practices, significantly affecting the lives of both wives and daughters.
"The project is indeed unique and a pioneering effort of its kind. It's a household-centred and community-level intervention anchored in the realities of our tradition and social structures, where elders are revered for their wisdom," Sani added. She noted that grandmothers command deep respect and are well-positioned to play an authoritative role in preventing GBV, aligning with Northern Nigeria's social structures that traditionally honor elders.
Implementation and Future Plans
In its first year, the New GNEC Project will identify and work in six villages in Kano State and four in Jigawa State. These communities are selected based on known issues where husbands do not support their wives economically, forcing wives to become breadwinners, or where husbands are unsupportive of their daughters' education. The project will also target grandmothers through radio programs, providing them with new information to enhance their influential roles. This support aims to help shape their sons' commitment to family economics and their daughters' education, fostering sustainable change at the grassroots level.
