This learning paper documents one of Nigeria’s most profound community-led victories against gender-based violence, the abolition of the centuries-old “Money Woman” tradition in Obanliku LGA, Cross River State. Under this practice, girls as young as nine were exchanged by their families to settle debts, becoming lifelong property of their “husbands” and often subjected to sexual violence and social exclusion.

Through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative's Male Engagement Program, Centre LSD worked with traditional leaders, male-dominated groups, and religious influencers to challenge and ultimately overturn this harmful norm. Leveraging its training manual for men and boys on SGBV and harmful practices, Centre LSD facilitated the creation of 8 Networks of Men Leaders to End Violence Against Women, turning male gatekeepers into vocal advocates for girls’ rights.

The campaign led to a formal resolution on August 20, 2020, by clan and village heads to abolish the “money woman” practice. It was publicly affirmed during a world press conference and backed by a local government by-law, criminalizing the tradition and enabling legal enforcement.

Success stories, like that of 75-year-old Chief Egunu Williams, who voluntarily released a teenage girl he had received as debt settlement, illustrate a significant cultural shift in attitudes and behaviours.

This publication offers practical lessons for eliminating harmful practices through community ownership, strategic stakeholder engagement, and cultural legitimacy. It is a critical resource for practitioners, policymakers, and civil society organizations committed to ending child marriage and advancing gender justice in deeply traditional contexts.