Seasoned legal practitioners and mental health experts have called for the abolition of cultural practices that promote sexual and gender-based violence against women, warning that the normalisation of GBV in the name of tradition is unconstitutional, psychologically damaging, and a threat to community development.
They argued that while culture remains an important part of society, any tradition that enables sexual and gender-based violence must be reformed or scrapped entirely, stressing that human rights should take precedence over cultural preservation.
In exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts further warned that the normalisation of such incidents reflects deep-rooted gender inequality and a troubling societal tolerance for abuse, which continues to embolden perpetrators and discourage victims from speaking out.
They also highlighted the psychological toll on survivors, noting that victims of sexual assault are at risk of developing mental health conditions, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, if not properly supported.
They called on traditional rulers, government agencies, law enforcement, civil society organisations, and the media to take coordinated action against harmful cultural practices, stressing that culture is not static and must evolve to protect rather than endanger women and girls.
The experts’ call follows the March 19 incident during the annual Alue-Do festival in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, where cases of sexual assault, harassment, and the public stripping of women were reported. The festival, a traditional fertility rite during which women are expected to remain indoors, was overshadowed by the disturbing events.
Viral videos showed groups of young men chasing, groping, and forcibly tearing clothes off women in public, sparking outrage and raising concerns about the safety of women at cultural gatherings.
In response, the Delta State Police Command arrested 16 suspects, including the community head, Chief Omorede Sunday, and launched an investigation into the incident. The state government condemned the acts as barbaric and warned against using tradition to justify criminal behaviour, while the police noted that no formal rape complaints had been filed as investigations continued.
While several women’s rights groups, civil societies, and international communities have condemned the action and called for an investigation into the Ozoro case, findings show that several cultural practices in the country have elements of gender-based violence.
For example, in the Southwest, practices like the Oro festival and similar traditions elsewhere prohibit women from appearing in public during specific times.
According to the United Nations Children Fund, GBV in Nigeria includes rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, and female genital mutilation. Others include gishiri cut, compulsory home birth, and son preference, among others.
Cultural practices such as widowhood rites, which include consuming the water used to wash the corpse, forced marriage to the deceased husband’s brother, sleeping in the same room as the corpse, among others, are rites women in some areas of the states go through at the death of their husbands.
Commenting on the matter, the Country Vice President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers Nigeria, Eliana Martins, described the Ozoro incident as both shocking and revealing of the persistence of harmful traditions in the country.
According to her, while some Nigerians expressed outrage, others dismissed the incident as “tradition,” even blaming women for being outdoors despite alleged warnings.
Martins said such responses underscored the urgent need to abolish cultural practices that are “repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.”
She said any act that encourages or enables gender-based violence violates the mental and physical well-being of women, and also violates the constitutional rights that every Nigerian woman is entitled to, including freedom of movement, personal safety, and self-enjoyment.
“These are freedoms and guarantees that are secured in our Constitution. But we look at our society, which is still steeped in deep communal oppression of women, which is wrong. Cultural beliefs that promote patriarchy and gender stereotyping continue to subjugate women.
“Any of these cultural practices that subjugate women and propagate violence must be banned. It must be eradicated,” she said.
She stressed that traditional rulers, as custodians of culture, must take responsibility for ending harmful practices, noting that progressive leaders had already begun reforming traditions in their communities.
She, however, acknowledged the response of the traditional ruler in Ozoro, who she said acted promptly by cooperating with the police to halt the festival, describing this as the kind of proactive leadership that communities needed.
Martins also emphasised that Nigeria has sufficient legal frameworks, including laws against gender-based violence, but suffers from weak implementation.
“It is not that we do not have laws. The problem lies in enforcement. We must move from outrage to action and ensure perpetrators are held accountable,” she added.
Martins stressed that gender-based violence was a crime against the state, not a family matter to be resolved through reconciliation or compensation.
“It is a criminal action that the state is supposed to take up, and justice should be applied across the board,” she said.
She called for a coordinated response involving government agencies, civil society, community leaders, and the media, stressing that consistent messaging and behavioural change were key to ending violence against women.
Also speaking, a lawyer and civil rights activist, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said culture must never be used as a justification for harmful practices.
While acknowledging the importance of cultural identity, she argued that any festival or tradition that enables violence against women has no place in a just society.
The founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center further noted that rather than banning culture entirely, there is a need to abolish or reform specific harmful elements within cultural practices, particularly those linked to sexual violence.
“Culture is not static; it evolves, and it must evolve in ways that protect, not endanger women and girls,” she said.
Akiyode-Afolabi further decried the normalisation of violence against women, describing it as a reflection of entrenched inequality and harmful social norms.
She warned that treating such incidents as routine fosters impunity, discourages reporting, and erodes trust in institutions meant to protect citizens.
On the way forward, she called for a multi-sectoral approach, urging the government to enforce existing laws and ensure swift prosecution of offenders.
She also tasked law enforcement agencies with adopting survivor-centred approaches, while calling on community and traditional leaders to reform harmful norms and speak out against abuse.
She added that civil society organisations, the media, and the public all have critical roles to play in challenging harmful practices and supporting survivors.
On the mental health implications, a former President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Prof Taiwo Obindo, said the incident would have lasting psychological effects on victims.
He explained that sexual assault is a traumatic experience that could lead to mental health conditions, stressing the need for affected individuals to undergo psychological assessment and support.
“Such experiences can result in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Some victims may break down immediately, while others may develop symptoms over time,” he said.
Obindo recommended that survivors seek professional help from psychologists or psychiatrists for proper evaluation and care.
He also noted that exposure to graphic content related to such incidents could affect not only victims but also those who witness or consume related media.
The psychiatrist further observed that some perpetrators may themselves be dealing with underlying psychological and social stressors, though he stressed that this does not excuse their actions.
He called for increased public awareness, better reporting mechanisms, and improved response systems within law enforcement and healthcare institutions.
Obindo also urged authorities to apprehend and punish those responsible for the Ozoro incident, noting that accountability would serve as a deterrent to future occurrences.
He added that stakeholders must prioritise education, empathy, and support for victims, while ensuring that both survivors and perpetrators receive appropriate interventions.
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