Commonwealth Parliamentarians from 18 jurisdictions came together in Abuja, Nigeria to examine the parliamentary responses to gender-based violence and ensuring that gender justice prevails. The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Workshop was held from 20 to 22 August 2024 and was hosted in partnership with the National Assembly of Nigeria.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) can be understood as violence directed against a person or group of people because of their gender. Despite decades of concentrated effort to combat GBV, it remains one of the most serious and prevalent human rights violations in the world having no social, economic or national boundaries.

Delegates at the CWP Workshop looked at the challenges in addressing and changing attitudes to GBV as well as the political commitment to provide much needed transformation. The three main sub-themes of the workshop were:

• GBV legislation within Parliaments;
• tackling GBV in local constituencies and the role of MPs; and
• GBV in relation to national policies and international treaties and conventions.

In her opening remarks, the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Chairperson, Hon. Dr Zainab Gimba, MP (Nigeria) said:

“This CWP Workshop aims to empower both male and female Parliamentarians in developing their skills to work towards eliminating all forms of Gender-Based Violence with specific attention to combatting violence against women, addressing global challenges such as violence against women in politics, online or technology-facilitated violence and in examining discriminatory laws.

The CWP Workshop also gives Parliamentarians the opportunity to engage with a range of experts and stakeholders, exposing them to a diverse range of knowledge, approaches and resources that are vital to combatting GBV.”

Workshop participants had the opportunity to hear from experts from leading organisations including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU); the Institute of Commonwealth Studies; UNICEF; UN Women; UN-CEDAW Committee as well as speaking with organisations engaged in promoting gender equality in Nigeria including ElectHER; Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) Nigeria; Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative Nigeria; and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.

This was followed by workshop sessions examining the role of Parliamentarians in supporting efforts to combat gender-based violence #GBV within their own constituencies and a practical role-play exercise allowing Members to explore possible responses and the importance of engaging with key stakeholders in their local communities.

Delegates were welcomed to the CWP Workshop by the Deputy President of the Senate of Nigeria, Senator Hon. Barau I. Jibrin and the CPA Deputy Secretary-General, Jarvis Matiya who said:

“At the CPA, we believe that the best learning environments for our membership is to prioritise dynamic engagement and focus on participation across all attendees. This workshop through the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network provides a means of peer-to-peer learning and building capacity to effect change at a local, national and international level. It also supports the CWP’s aim to help Parliaments to become gender-sensitive institutions.”

The CWP Workshop also featured a session on combating harassment and violence in Parliament which examined codes of conduct and measures in place to protect both Members and staff. The CWP President, Hon. Lynda Voltz, MP (New South Wales) presented the findings of a recent report on the topic which will also be explored at the 8th Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Conference due to take place in Sydney in November 2024.

Below: At the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Workshop on gender-based violence in Nigeria, CWP President, Hon. Lynda Voltz, MP (New South Wales) speaks about key outcomes and exchange of ideas from Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth.

Participants attended the CWP Workshop from Akwa-Ibom (Nigeria); The Bahamas; Benue (Nigeria); Borno (Nigeria); Eswatini; Gauteng (South Africa); The Gambia; India Union; Malawi; Malaysia; Namibia; New South Wales (Australia); Niger State (Nigeria); Nigeria Federal; North-West (South Africa); Pakistan; Tanzania; United Kingdom.

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The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) was founded in 1989 to increase the number of female elected representatives in 180 Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth and to ensure that women’s issues are brought to the fore in parliamentary debate and legislation. The network campaigns for gender equality in all spheres. For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.