PPJ to Launch “Rapid Response and Norm Transformation Initiative to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Cultural Spaces in Delta State, Nigeria”
Abuja, Nigeria – 4th May, 2026.
The Priests Assembly Peace and Social Justice Initiative (PPJ) announces the forthcoming launch of its project titled “Rapid Response and Norm Transformation Initiative to End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Cultural Spaces in Delta State, Nigeria”, commencing in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The initiative represents a decisive, community-driven response to recent events in Ozoro that brought national attention to harmful cultural practices enabling sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Beyond addressing the immediate incident, the project is designed to confront the deeper structural, cultural and accountability gaps that allow such violations to persist.
This intervention builds on the success of PPJ’s SHUN Corruption Project, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, which mobilised faith-based communities across Nigeria to challenge corruption through behavioural change and citizen action. Drawing from this tested model, PPJ is now expanding its approach through the SHUN SGBV Programme, applying the same principles of mobilisation, accountability and norm transformation to the fight against gender-based violence.
The Ozoro project serves as a strategic entry point and a key subset of the broader SHUN SGBV Programme, demonstrating a rapid-response model that combines immediate action with long-term social change.
Implemented in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria under the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership (RWVL) Programme, with support from Global Affairs Canada, the initiative aims to prevent and eliminate SGBV embedded in cultural and community practices through coordinated action, strengthened accountability systems and sustained norm transformation.
The project will be implemented by PPJ in collaboration with critical allies, including the Noble Delta Women for Peace and Development International and the Male Feminists Network, South South Zone. These collaborations reflect the project’s commitment to women-led mobilisation, male allyship, community ownership, survivor-centred advocacy and sustained engagement with cultural, traditional and civic actors.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Dr. Ejiro Joyce Otive-Igbuzor, Executive Director of PPJ, stated:
“This project is a turning point. We are moving from silence and normalisation of abuse to deliberate, organised resistance. Communities must not only condemn harmful practices but actively dismantle them and build systems that protect women and girls.”
Key activities under the project include high-level advocacy with traditional and government institutions, peaceful processions to demand justice and accountability, documentation of harmful practices across Delta State, community sensitisation and dialogue, and the establishment of safeguarding, reporting and referral mechanisms linked to formal justice systems.
The initiative will also build a network of trained community influencers — youth, women, traditional leaders and civil society actors — to serve as Anti-SGBV Ambassadors and sustain long-term prevention efforts.
The launch in Ozoro will mark the beginning of a broader movement to drive zero tolerance for sexual and gender-based violence, ensuring that cultural spaces become safe, accountable and aligned with human rights, dignity and justice.
Media Contact:
Priests Assembly Peace and Social Justice Initiative (PPJ)
Email: info@priestsassembly.org
Phone: +2348091499975