The wife of the Sokoto State Governor, Dr Fatima Ahmad Aliyu, has declared the state’s unwavering zero-tolerance policy towards Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in schools.

She made this declaration while inaugurating a 3-day workshop on “Rejuvenating Education Through Quality Instruction and School-Related Gender-Based Violence Management.”

The workshop, organized by the State’s Female Education Board, aimed to address critical safety and quality issues in female schools.

Dr Fatima Aliyu described the workshop as “timely and necessary,” linking School-Related GBV to rising dropout rates among girls.

She defined GBV as “any form of violence, coercion, or harmful practice—whether physical, emotional, verbal, digital, economic, or discriminatory—experienced because of one’s gender.”

The First Lady highlighted the administration’s commitment to educational reforms, citing increased budget allocation to education and initiatives to improve school infrastructure and teacher training.

Dr. Fatima Aliyu charged educators to take full advantage of the training, emphasizing the importance of creating safe school environments.

She concluded, “We shall continue to work to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces where teaching and learning thrive without fear, intimidation, or discrimination.”

The workshop was attended by the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, the State Coordinator of Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), and Sarkin Yakin Gagi Alhaji Sani Jabbi, among others.