Every year, the world pauses between November 25 and December 10 to reflect on one painful reality, violence against women and girls remains a major challenge. This period, known as the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, has become a global call for action. But in Nigeria, few places embrace this call as strongly and as passionately as Ekiti State.
This year, Ekiti once again stood out. The state did not just join the campaign; it embraced it with an energy that could be felt from its rural communities to the busy centres of Ado Ekiti. At the heart of this effort was the wife of the Governor, Dr. Olayemi Abiodun-Oyebanji, a strong voice pushing for safety, dignity, and justice for women and girls both online and offline.
The global theme, “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls,” shaped many of the state’s activities. It was a reminder that abuse now happens not only in homes, schools, and offices but also on phones, in chats, and across social media platforms. And Ekiti chose to confront both sides of the problem.
Throughout the 16 days, the office of the First Lady in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs led a coordinated series of engagements community visits, awareness talks, radio campaigns, and stakeholder meetings, reaching out to mothers, traders, schoolgirls, traditional leaders, and young people, urging them to break the silence around violence and learn how to protect themselves in a digital world.
The climax of the campaign was a symbolic walk through major markets in Ado Ekiti. From Fajuyi Park to Oja Oba and Okesa Market, Dr. Oyebanji moved through the crowds, speaking with women, encouraging them to report abuse, and warning them not to endure digital harassment in silence. The message was simple: every woman deserves safety, and every girl deserves protection.
During the walk, she explained that Ekiti has built a strong foundation for gender protection over the years. She pointed to the state’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, known as Moremi Clinic, as one of the clearest signs of this progress. The centre provides medical care, counselling, legal support, and a safe space for survivors to regain their strength.
According to her, the clinic has become a model that other states now study, largely because of its careful record-keeping and survivor-friendly approach. Dr Olayemi Oyebanji who stressed the need for women to have maximum respect for their husbands, charged women to say no to any form of violence, noting that violence should never be treated as a private family issue, insisting that it harms not just individuals but also society itself. When women are unsafe, she said, communities lose their peace, children lose stability, and the economy loses valuable potential.
The wife of the Governor reminded the people of the state’s Sexual Offenders Register, one of the most active in Nigeria, meant to shame offenders, deter potential abusers, and remind the public that the law is watching.
The state’s Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, reinforced this message, appealling to families and communities to reject digital harassment and other harmful behaviours. She encouraged parents, teachers, and neighbours to talk openly with girls about their safety both in physical spaces and online.
Babafemi also recognised the vital contributions of civil society groups and media houses holding sensitisation sessions, offering legal support, and helping to spread information to communities. To sustain this progress, Babafemi explained that the government is working closely with local councils, ministries, and development partners to build a stronger response system as well as expand psychosocial support for survivors and strengthen public education on consent and healthy relationships.
She called on traditional and religious leaders to also assist in challenging long-standing cultural practices as well as the new trend of cyber bully against women.
Also, the Head of Service, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, encouraged women to speak out and reject any form of digital and physical abuse, expressing concern that despite growing awareness, many cases are still settled informally, leaving survivors unprotected and offenders free to repeat their actions. She said the state civil service frowns and has zero tolerance for any form of GBV
She stressed that the 16 Days of Activism should not be treated as an annual ritual, but that the the lessons from the campaign must shape everyday behaviour. “Communities must speak up. Institutions must respond quickly. Families must support survivors, not silence them”. She said
She called for stronger partnerships between government, civil society, community leaders, and even the private sector.