UNFPA Partners Government, Kaduna Polo Club, El-Amin Polo Club to Break Silence as 1 in 5 Women Face Gender-Based Violence. By Raymond Enoch
In Kaduna state, at least one in every five women experiences gender-based violence, a figure experts describe as only a fraction of the true picture because most cases remain unreported. Behind closed doors, survivors are urged to keep quiet, families discourage exposure, and harmful social norms turn women into silent victims of abuse and stigma.
To confront this reality, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a new awareness drive in Kaduna under the ongoing global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The 16 Days campaign, which runs annually from November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day), is the longest-running global movement dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. Worldwide, nearly one in three women has experienced physical or sexual abuse at least once in their lifetime, and millions suffer without reporting the violence due to shame, fear, and a lack of access to support services.
Authoritative source confirmed to Paradigm News International tgat in Kaduna state, UNFPA is strongly building strategic action beyond the traditional advocacy circle by partnering with the Kaduna State Commissioner for Women Affairs, the Kaduna Polo Club, and the El-Amin Polo Club to drive this change. At a recent awareness event, officials made it clear that silence is no longer an option. The involvement of the polo community is deliberate, aimed at tapping into influential networks of men, decision-makers, and community leaders who can help drive a shift in attitudes and break long-standing cultural barriers.
According to organizers, survivors of GBV are often left to bear psychological pain, social humiliation, and financial hardship alone. Many do not know where to turn or what services exist. The event highlighted available facilities in Kaduna, including safe spaces, counselling, legal support, referral systems, and hotlines for confidential reporting. Speakers stressed that these services will only work when communities actively encourage survivors to seek help rather than suffer in silence.
UNFPA representatives noted that breaking silence requires collective effort across the state. The growing momentum around the global 16 Days movement supports this approach. Since its launch in 1991, more than 6,000 organizations in over 180 countries have participated in the campaign, reaching millions of people and helping governments and communities confront gender-based violence through advocacy, information sharing, referral networks, and survivor support systems.
The Kaduna Commissioner for Women Affairs pledged government commitment to strengthening GBV prevention and accountability structures, adding that protecting women is not only a moral duty but a human rights obligation. Representatives of the Kaduna Polo Club and El-Amin Polo Club said the responsibility to challenge GBV must include men of influence, insisting that real change begins when those with social power decide to act.
As activities continue across the state, the message remains urgent and consistent: reporting violence saves lives, speaking out protects survivors, and ending stigma is key to ending the cycle of abuse. Organizers say that if this momentum extends beyond the 16 Days campaign period, Kaduna can set an example for community-driven action against gender-based violence in Nigeria.
