A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (IWEI),  has raised concern over the rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Kano State, attributing the trend to deepening poverty, insecurity, drug abuse and the growing number of out-of-school children.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with SolaceBase, Hajiya Amina Hanga, Executive Director of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, said the organisation, launched in 2009 and fully commenced work in 2010, remains committed to empowering women and girls across northern Nigeria through protection and justice, quality education, and economic empowerment.

“We have been focused from inception on women and girls,” she said. “A lot of the work we do is centred around addressing sexual and gender-based violence, which unfortunately is increasing in Kano State.”

Drivers of the Surge in Violence

According to her, the spike in SGBV cases is driven by several interlinked factors.

“One of the major factors is poverty,” she explained. “There is also rising insecurity, many young people are out of school or unemployed, and the drug issue is contributing significantly.”

Hanga noted that high divorce rates and family breakdowns have further worsened vulnerabilities among women and girls.

Community-Based Response and Legal Support

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Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative has adopted a community-driven approach by training community-based paralegals, who handle cases of rape, sexual harassment and marital disputes at the grassroots level.

“We help people understand their rights, we raise awareness, and handle many cases within the community,” she said. “When a case requires legal action, we refer it to the lawyers we work with.”

The Initiative collaborates with organisations such as FIDA, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission, as well as its in-house lawyers to ensure survivors get justice. For civil cases, especially marital disputes, the group provides mediation services.

Survivors also receive referrals for trauma counselling and medical attention at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).

Safe Spaces and Expanding Engagement with Boys

Hanga emphasized that tackling SGBV requires working not only with girls but also with boys.

“Most perpetrators of gender-based violence are male,” she noted. “So in 2026, we will scale up our work with boys, helping them understand their roles as allies, not perpetrators.”

She said engaging young males early would foster responsible adulthood, strengthen families, and break cycles of violence.

Breaking Barriers Through Community Ownership

Some challenges IWEI faces are low participation of women in communities due to patriarchal norms, weak local systems for protection and justice and weak implementation of laws and policies; and short donor funding cycles.

To address this, Hanga said the initiative engages traditional and religious leaders to gain acceptance and encourage community ownership; advocacy and engagement with government stakeholders are some of the interventions carried out.

“We always make it clear we are working with communities, not for them,” she explained. “The solutions lie with them, and we only help them build capacity.”

Success Stories and Expanding Across States

The executive director said IWEI has been recording significant progress in Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina, especially in reducing harmful practices like child marriage through community power-building.

She highlighted recent feedback from Jigawa, where economically empowered young women are now earning income, contributing to family welfare, and are requesting to return to school.

“We are seeing parents demanding education for their children, and even mothers asking to learn how to read and write. This shows change is happening gradually.”

Vision for 2026

Looking ahead, Hanga said IWEI plans to strengthen partnerships with government agencies, CSOs and more communities to build a stronger, more coordinated front against gender-based violence to enable every girl to learn, and every young woman to thrive.

“It’s about all of us joining hands,” she said. “If we catch children young and support parents, we will gradually build peaceful homes and resilient communities.”