African Centre for Leadership, Strategy, & Development

Abuja, Nigeria — Christian Aid, in collaboration with the Side-by-Side Movement and the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), alongside partners PLAN International Nigeria, Inclusive Friends, Yar’adua Foundation, ACT Alliance and JONAPWD will convene the Fifth Annual Transformative Gender Justice Conference on 5 March 2026 in Abuja.

Christian Aid and Partners to Convene Fifth Annual Transformative Gender Justice Conference in Abuja

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 March 2026

Christian Aid and Partners to Convene Fifth Annual Transformative Gender Justice Conference in Abuja

Held under the theme “Give to Gain: Rights & Action for Gender Justice,” this year’s conference will bring together faith and traditional leaders, government institutions, private sector actors, development partners, women-led organisations, organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), Civil Society groups, regional representatives and the media.

The gathering aims to move beyond dialogue towards decisive, measurable action on gender justice.

Across West and Central Africa, gender inequality remains deeply entrenched in unequal power relations that restrict women’s rights, opportunities and economic independence. According to UN Women (2023) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 framework (2018), structural discrimination continues to limit women’s participation in economic and political life despite decades of commitments following the Beijing Platform for Action.

In fragile and conflict-affected settings including parts of Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi women face intersecting barriers to land ownership, credit access, markets, social protection and decision-making spaces. Rising food and fuel prices have further intensified these vulnerabilities.

In a statement, the Women’s Rights Coordinator and Programme Lead of the Side-by-Side Movement at Centre LSD, Ms Offiong Enang, noted that evidence from the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) shows that when women farmers have equal access to productive resources, agricultural yields rise significantly, food security improves, and household resilience strengthens.

Similarly, World Bank analyses (2020; 2023) demonstrate that strengthening women’s economic agency within agricultural value chains contributes not only to poverty reduction but also to violence prevention and broader economic growth. Gender equality is therefore not a standalone aspiration; it is foundational to sustainable development and social stability.

Consequently, this year’s conference will prioritise practical, systemic solutions. Discussions will focus on dismantling structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment, expanding access to inclusive and affordable financial services, strengthening women’s legal rights and participation in decision-making, challenging restrictive socio-cultural norms, and promoting cross-country learning across stable and fragile contexts.

A central objective is to scale women’s participation in Nigeria’s agricultural value chain by supporting their transition from subsistence farming to commercially viable, women-led enterprises with access to finance, technology, and markets.

A distinctive feature of the initiative is the leadership of the Side-by-Side Movement Nigeria, a faith- and tradition-based platform advancing gender justice through advocacy, education and action. Recognising the influence of faith and traditional leaders as custodians of social norms, the conference will seek concrete commitments to challenge patriarchal practices that limit women’s access to land, credit, and economic mobility.

The conference will feature prominent speakers, including Professor Funmi Para-Mallam, mni, Chairperson of the African Women’s Leadership Network (AWLN) Nigeria Chapter, and Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, Pioneer Mandate Secretary of the Women Affairs Secretariat, FCT, who will serve as Guest of Honour. High-level plenary sessions will examine critical themes such as “Policy on Paper, Exclusion in Practice: Why Women Still Cannot Access Capital and Markets.”

The expected outcomes include institutional commitments to develop gender-sensitive financial products for women and persons with disabilities; adoption of a high-level Communiqué outlining actionable steps on women’s financial inclusion and agricultural commercialisation; strengthened governance and expansion of the Side-by-Side Movement Nigeria; regional commitments on priority gender justice actions; and the consolidation of a cross-sector network advocating inclusive economic policies.

Ultimately, “Give to Gain” reflects a simple yet powerful principle: when women receive the rights, resources, and recognition they deserve, entire communities benefit. Food security improves, households stabilise, and economies become more resilient.

Christian Aid and its partners therefore call on government institutions, financial actors, faith leaders, development partners and the private sector to move beyond rhetoric and invest in transformative, measurable change. When women gain access, security and voice, society gains prosperity and peace.

Participants unable to attend in person are encouraged to follow updates via Centre LSD’s social media platforms:

Facebook: @centrelsd

Instagram: @centrelsd

LinkedIn: @centrelsd

X: @centrelsd

Signed:

Centre LSD

PLAN International Nigeria

Inclusive Friends

ACT Alliance

JONAPWD

Yar’adua Foundation.