Kano Gender Justice Summit Endorses Structured GBV Justice Systems Framework

Formalises state-level coordination architecture

Stakeholders across government, justice institutions, security agencies, traditional and religious leadership, civil society organisations, and survivor support services have formally endorsed a structured Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Justice Systems Reform Framework at the Kano State Gender Justice Summit 2025, converting prior pilot implementation into a consolidated state-level coordination architecture.

The endorsement followed the operational deployment of the framework across Madobi, Kura, and Kiru Local Government Areas of the State, where structured referral pathways, inter-agency case coordination, and survivor-centred response mechanisms had already been activated prior to the summit.

At the summit, stakeholders collectively adopted the framework as a guiding operational structure for GBV response across Kano State, aligning justice, health, and social protection institutions under a coordinated implementation model.

The framework, designed and initiated by Lift Africa Foundation under the leadership of human rights lawyer, Aisha Hamman, establishes a structured system for survivor intake, case referral, evidence handling, prosecution coordination, and outcome tracking across institutions.

According to Aisha Hamman, the summit represented a transition point from system design and pilot implementation into formal institutional alignment.

“What happened at the summit was not the beginning of action. It was the consolidation of an already functioning system. The framework had been operational in pilot LGAs, and this process now formalises state-wide adoption,” she said.

The endorsed system includes: a unified GBV referral and response protocol across justice and health institutions; standardised case management procedures linking police, medical, and legal systems; structured coordination between ministries, agencies, and frontline responders; formal recognition of pilot implementation nodes as part of a statewide response architecture; and strengthened accountability mechanisms for case tracking and outcome monitoring.

Government representatives confirmed alignment of relevant ministries and agencies with the framework’s operational structure, particularly in improving coordination between investigation, prosecution, and survivor support services.

Justice sector actors described the adoption as a significant step toward institutionalising a coordinated response system that reduces fragmentation and improves efficiency in GBV case handling.

Religious and traditional leaders also affirmed their role in supporting community-level enforcement of protection norms and strengthening referral compliance mechanisms at grassroots level.

Stakeholders noted that the formalisation of the framework builds on earlier operational work and represents a shift from fragmented institutional responses toward a unified, system-based GBV response structure in Kano State.

The summit concluded with the signing of a Community Declaration for Protection and Justice, reinforcing multi-sectoral commitment to sustained implementation, accountability, and system-wide coordination.