By Queen Kunde
As the world begins the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the Kaduna State Multi-Stakeholder State Action Plan Implementation & Monitoring Committee (SMIMC) has raised alarm over worsening insecurity across the state and the country.
The committee, supported by CLEEN Foundation and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, marked the global campaign with a call for stronger protections for women and girls and renewed commitment to the Women, Peace & Security (WPS) agenda.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the SMIMC lamented the persistent surge in kidnapping, terrorism, and banditry—threats it said continue to destabilize communities, destroy livelihoods, and expose families to grave risks.
The committee noted that women, girls, and other vulnerable groups bear the brunt of these crises, facing elevated risks of sexual and gender-based violence, displacement, loss of education and health services, and long-term psychological trauma.
The committee referenced the recent listing of Nigeria as a “country of concern” by the United States, describing it as a signal of the urgent need for coordinated, preventive responses to insecurity, human rights violations, and gender-based violence.
Reaffirming the goals of the Kaduna State Action Plan on Women, Peace & Security (KADSAP), the SMIMC pledged to intensify efforts to strengthen early warning and response systems, support survivors of gender-based violence, and expand women’s involvement in peace and security decision-making.
The group also emphasized the importance of collaboration with security agencies, traditional institutions, ministries, civil society, and development partners in creating a more gender-responsive security environment.
The committee issued a broad call to action, urging government authorities to scale up security operations in vulnerable communities, encouraging security agencies to adopt gender-sensitive approaches, and appealing to traditional and community leaders to protect women and girls and condemn all forms of violence. It further called on civil society and the media to amplify peace messaging and on women’s and youth groups to deepen grassroots peacebuilding efforts.
“The SMIMC remains steadfast in advancing the Women, Peace & Security agenda in Kaduna State,” said Chairperson Saadatu Hamma.
“There can be no sustainable peace, security, or development without the full inclusion, protection, and leadership of women and girls.”