By Aminu Alhussaini Amanawa Sokoto.
The Gender Educators Initiative (GEI), a nonprofit championing gender equality and peacebuilding, has called on the Federal Government to urgently support women affected by the rising banditry in Zamfara State.
In a statement signed by GEI’s Founder, Shafa’atu Suleiman, the group condemned the recent violent attacks in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, which left five people dead and many, mostly women, abducted.
GEI urged the government to establish trauma counseling centers, offer free shelters, and provide legal aid to survivors. The organization stressed that beyond the immediate loss, women in conflict-hit communities face ongoing trauma, economic hardship, and threats to their reproductive health and safety.
To rebuild lives, GEI advocated for stronger security presence, girl-child education initiatives, and economic empowerment programs for women. It also called on the media and civil society to amplify the crisis and ensure the plight of women and children remains in national focus.
“Breaking the cycle of violence begins with building support systems that protect and empower,” the statement emphasized.