BY JULIET EKWENUGO, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has pledged to deepen collaboration with the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Media Corps to strengthen public awareness, survivor protection and accountability in the fight against SGBV in the state.
The Commissioner, Rabi Salisu Hajia, made the commitment on Tuesday when she received members of the SGBV Media Corps in her office in Kaduna.
Salisu described journalists as longstanding partners in advancing the cause of women and children, saying the media had played a significant role in amplifying the ministry’s activities and raising awareness about issues affecting vulnerable people.
She recalled that journalists had supported her advocacy work even before she joined government, noting that their reports helped draw attention to issues affecting vulnerable women and children.
“Journalists are my friends. I have always given glory to them because nobody knew me in the village because of my local NGO, but journalists blew the trumpet that this woman is doing exceptional work,” she said.
The commissioner urged members of the Media Corps to see the ministry as a partner and work through established channels when reporting or following up SGBV cases.
She said closer collaboration would enable journalists to better understand procedures for handling sensitive cases, protect survivors from further harm and support efforts to ensure justice.
According to her, the ministry has social workers across the local government areas and operates Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) to provide coordinated support for survivors.
She disclosed that the state’s SARC centres and gender-based violence response mechanisms were funded and operational, urging media practitioners to refer cases to appropriate structures as early as possible.
“If you are working hand-in-hand with us, we file it, we put the FIR there, we put the result there, we put everything there. You see everything. We pursue it together,” Salisu said.
She also encouraged confidentiality in handling sensitive case information, particularly medical reports and other evidence that could compromise investigations or expose survivors to further harm.
Speaking on behalf of the Media Corps, Sola Ojo said the delegation visited the ministry to explore areas of collaboration that would strengthen the protection of women and children across Kaduna State.
He said the Corps was interested in leveraging the ministry’s experience, structures and knowledge of SGBV response, while using the media to amplify relevant initiatives and increase public awareness.
“We are looking into how we can collaborate to amplify key initiatives regarding the protection of women and children in Kaduna State,” Ojo said.
He said the Corps also wanted to understand the realities faced by frontline actors and identify practical ways the media could support their work.
“We want to explore how best to amplify the work being done here at the Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure that women and children across Kaduna State remain safe,” he said.
Ojo added that the partnership could support the adoption of relevant technical approaches to SGBV reporting while drawing on the ministry’s experience in responding to cases.
He stressed that protecting women and children required cooperation among government institutions, journalists, civil society organisations and communities.
The engagement also provided an opportunity for both sides to explore structured collaboration around information sharing, referrals, public education, survivor protection, responsible reporting and amplification of government interventions.
The SGBV Media Corps was launched in August 2026 by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and International IDEA, with funding from the European Union Support to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (ESGBV) Programme.
The initiative brings media practitioners together to strengthen reporting and public engagement on SGBV, with emphasis on public awareness, accountability and the protection of women and children.
