Peace Walk in Zangon Kataf Targets Digital Violence Against Women and Girls

By: Abubakar Labaran

In response to the alarming rise in digital violence against women and girls, the Community Dialogue Committee (CDC) of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, Kaduna State, organized a one-day peace walk in Samaru Kataf. The event extended the community’s 16 days of activism against sexual and gender-based violence, focusing on engaging key stakeholders in a collaborative effort to address these pressing issues.

Carrying placards, CDC members walked to the bustling Samaru Kataf Market, where they educated thousands on the dangers of violence against women, their exclusion from policymaking, and the growing threat of digital and online abuse.

Speaking to Timescopenews during the walk, CDC Chairman His Highness Luke Adankat stressed the need to raise public awareness about the devastating impact of violence against women, with the goal of reducing it significantly.

“There is an urgent need for collective action,” Adankat stated, pointing to troubling statistics on sexual violence in the region. He expressed deep concern over rising cases of online, digital, physical, psychological, and emotional violence against women and emphasized the importance of collaboration among security agencies, traditional leaders, and religious figures. He called on everyone to work together earnestly, noting the severe effects of such violence on humanity.

Earlier, CDC Public Relations Officer Mr. Clement Solomon outlined the committee’s mission and objectives. He explained that the 25-member CDC was established in Zonkwa on May 17, 2023, through a partnership between Global Rights and the Kukah Centre, with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The initiative is part of the project “Deploying Strategies for Increasing Access to Justice and Promoting Credible, Peaceful, Democratic Processes in North-West Nigeria.”

Solomon described the project as a response to escalating violent conflict in North-West Nigeria, particularly in Kaduna State, which has disproportionately affected women, girls, and children.

“Previous interventions often overlooked the specific challenges faced by women during these violent episodes,” he noted.

He also highlighted a shift in the nature of insecurity within Zangon Kataf—from farmer-herder clashes to an alarming increase in sexual violence against women working on farms.

“It is deeply troubling that incidents of rape against women working on farms occur almost daily,” Solomon said. “This is a crisis that requires immediate attention from all of us.”

In response, the CDC organized the peace walk to raise public awareness about the devastating effects of sexual violence—including its digital dimensions—and to galvanize community action against it.