Femi Adesina champions gender equality, calls for end to misogyny, violence
Femi Adesina speaking at the event.
Published By: Michael Adesina
Jimoh Elizabeth Oluwaseyi
The former spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Femi Adesina, has called on Nigerians to take a stand against misogyny, gender-based violence (GBV), and Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TGBV).
His remarks came during a public presentation of a report on the trends and contexts of these issues in Nigeria, organized by Journalist For Christ (JFC) in partnership with the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).
The event which held on December 5, 2024, at the Sir Kesington Adebutu Media Resource Centre in Ogba, Lagos, was part of the #16DaysOfActivism campaign aimed at eradicating all forms of gender-based violence in society.
Adeshina emphasized the importance of rejecting misogyny, questioning why anyone would choose to hate others created by God.
He stated, “If God created humanity and He loved everyone, why should some people decide to hate other creatures of God?”
He encouraged attendees to share the report widely, urging, “It is said in the Bible that God gave the word; great was the company of those that publish it. Let us publish it so that those who are guilty will recognize that their actions are antisocial and ungodly.”
He also addressed the need for Africans to proactively confront these societal vices, particularly in light of global issues such as LGBTQ rights and gender identity changes. “We should not wait until we can’t control such things in Africa,” he warned.
Provost of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye, praised JFC’s advocacy efforts, commending its founding president, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin.
“I’ve always known Lekan and JFC to be about advocacy, which is commendable,” he remarked.
He expressed interest in the report, noting, “This is a very good thing, and I would love to see and read this report because some of us may be unconscious misogynists.”
JFC Project Officer and Publisher of BoNews, Ms. Blessing Oladunjoye, highlighted the seriousness of online harassment, explaining that “these acts target women with the purpose of harassing them through electronic means.”
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She provided specific examples of misogynistic reactions to Adaora Umeoji’s appointment as the first female CEO of Zenith Bank, noting that comments from social media posts often undermined women’s professional achievements.
Oladunjoye reported, “We discovered 49 cases of TFGBV on Facebook, 8 on X(Twitter) and Instagram, 1 on TikTok, totaling 66 cases online.”
She pointed out that male perpetrators accounted for 28.8% of the misogynistic posts, while female perpetrators made up 25.8%.
Similarly, in his welcome address, the JFC’s Founding President, Lekan Otufodunrin stressed the significance of advocating for human rights and freedom of expression.
“Since the trend of misogyny and TGBV has become worrisome globally, we conducted research to provide data on these issues,” he stated.
Founder of the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation, and Protection, Betty Abah, praised the collaborative efforts of Adeshina and Otunfodunrin.
“These are men liberated from the mental shackles of misogyny who support us in this fight,” she said.
Senior Mass Communication Lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mrs. Odum Oruma, encouraged women to pursue education as a powerful weapon against gender-based violence.
She challenged women to demonstrate resilience, asserting, “I tell women you must be tough against those who think they are ‘Alpha and Omega.’”
The event, moderated by Ms. Blessing Osemobor, marked the first gathering in the newly completed building at the institute, which was inaugurated on October 30, 2024.
The presentation came to a close, having students and lecturers from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, students from the University of Lagos, Media Practitioners, and Social Media enthusiasts in attendance, who were eager to actively combat misogyny and TFGBV via advocacy for a safer and better society.
