In the Gyel district of Jos South, Plateau State, there’s a big worry about something called ‘aure leather’, which are unlawful marriages that lead to a lot of sexual and gender-based violence.Â
To tackle this problem, the district leaders have decided to make it easier for young men to get married legally by reducing the number of things they need to pay for during traditional marriage ceremonies.
This change is also meant to give women more respect in their homes and prevent fights over unpaid dowries.
During a meeting organized by the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection (WRAPA) group for the Berom tribe, leaders from the Gyel district explained how they’re making sure women have a say in important decisions and are protected from violence.
They’ve even made a rule that women can be part of the traditional council and help decide punishments for people who commit violence.
One of the leaders said they’ve lowered the bride price to N30,000 because they found out that high prices were causing some marriages to happen illegally.
This change has led to more marriages being done properly in the Gyel district. They’ve also made a rule that women who don’t work should get some of their husband’s salary.
But there’s a bigger problem causing all this violence – illegal mining. Because of mining, young people are dropping out of school to make quick money, but then they spend it on alcohol and get married too early.
This leads to problems because the men are often drunk and can’t take care of their families. Some parents even encourage their kids to skip school and mine, which is really risky.
The elders in the community say they need to find a better way for young people to make money without resorting to mining.
They want to teach them how to manage their money and pay taxes so they can be responsible citizens.
They also want to stop harmful traditions that contribute to violence against women.
At the meeting, community leaders and organizations came together to denounce all forms of violence against women and girls.
They praised the Gyel district for their efforts and agreed to spread their rules to other parts of the Berom community.
They also called for a better balance between religion, culture, and the fight against violence.
The goal is to create a safer and more inclusive community where everyone’s rights are respected and harmful practices are stopped.
