The Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with support from the Ford Foundation, has developed a manual on Islamic perspectives on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), as well as a second manual addressing double stigmatization.

The manuals, translated into Hausa, will be launched on September 21 in Abuja.

Speaking with journalists in Sokoto on Monday, Ahmed Umar Ahmed, Programme Officer at dRPC and Coordinator of the Muslim Opinion Leaders for GBV Prevention in Northern Nigeria, said the initiative seeks to correct misconceptions and misinterpretations of religious teachings regarding GBV.

He explained that the project also supports mosques in developing similar resources on Islamic perspectives to tackle the menace.

As part of its interventions, the dRPC, with Ford Foundation’s support, sponsored Muslim scholars and opinion leaders from Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Bauchi, and Niger States on study tours to Egypt, where they engaged with eminent Islamic scholars, including Shehu Al-Azhar, to exchange insights on Islam’s stance on GBV and women’s protection.

Upon their return, the delegates have been sensitizing Juma’at Imams, female Da’awah leaders, traditional rulers, Shari’a Court judges, and Hisbah officials. Beneficiaries of the training include Sarkin Yakin Gagi, Alhaji Umar Jabbi, Sheikh Nura Attajiri, the Sokoto Hisbah Commander, and Malam Liman Sifawa.

Ahmed also disclosed that the centre is working with the Niger State chapter of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) to develop a guide for reintegrating women and girls who escaped or were released after abductions by Boko Haram. The move aims to help communities accept and support survivors facing stigmatization.

According to him, Sokoto was one of the focal states of dRPC interventions between 2002 and 2015, where several Muslim scholars were engaged in advocacy on GBV prevention.