Beeta Arts Festival Seeks To Tackle Gender-Based Violence

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s creative and cultural sector, alongside gender rights advocates, have emphasised the need to use storytelling to inspire behavioural change, challenge stereotypes and amplify voices against gender-based violence across Nigeria.

They argued that artistic expression offers a compelling pathway to change mindsets, shape public conversations, and drive collective action.

The call was made at the opening of the Beeta Arts Festival (BAF) 2025, themed “Connecting Voices”, which seeks to amplify stories that challenge harmful norms and promote social justice.

In her opening remarks, BAF founder, Bikiya Graham-Douglas, stressed the importance of moving advocacy against GBV beyond digital conversations into physical spaces where the arts can deepen engagement through culture, theatre, film, and literature.

According to her, “Arts and culture provide a physical and emotional connection that digital campaigns alone cannot achieve. Storytelling has the power to shift perspectives, to humanize victims, and to inspire action.”

Graham-Douglas, an award winning movie producer, further emphasized the need for collaboration by stakeholders to ensure that efforts translate to real change.

“Implementation may be slow, but we cannot stop. We must continue to push. That is why we have this kind of event where we highlight our realities and what we could do better. Men also have a very important role to play — we must work together,” she said.

Also speaking, the director general of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Aisha Adamawagi, said the festival offers a vital platform to drive advocacy for policies that support gender justice, particularly during the global 16 Days of Activism against GBV.

She noted that technology and creativity can either reinforce harmful stereotypes or challenge inequality, depending on how they are used.

She said, “Beeta Arts Festival has brought us to the forefront, and it brings to fore the activities of the creative sector, not just the creative but also the cultural sector. These sectors are sectors that pull in a lot of people and can be used to change societal norms, to change attitudes and behaviors for better. And so it is very important for us to continue to use the avenues of the creative and cultural sector to support society. That, in itself, puts us in a better position to build a better economy, build a better life for our people.

“So the creative and cultural sector cannot be put aside. It is a very important sector when it comes to creating change and supporting policies and using it to advocate for better.”

Similarly, the executive director of Gender Strategy Advancement International, Adora Sydney-Jack, described storytelling as one of the most powerful tools for dismantling harmful social narratives and exposing the lived realities of women and survivors of violence.