… Says women in govt get things done better
… As Centre LSD train over 11,000 feminists nationwide
A popular Nigerian actor, writer and producer, Chief Richard Evans Mofe-Damijo, popularly known as RMD, has been appointed and decorated as a Male Feminists Network (MFN) ambassador for prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).
RMD, among other ambassadors will lead a national campaign against Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria.
Speaking with newsmen after his inauguration on Friday in Abuja, the 65-year-old veteran actor called for more inclusion of women, especially in government, saying experience has shown that when a woman is involved in anything in governancele things are easily get done.
He said: “Personally, when I did a film two years ago, I had like 80% women in the crew. And I always say to people in my profession, if you want to have anything done in government, put a woman in charge and you can sleep with both your eyes closed.”
He also charged men not to objectify women but treat them with respect.
“Just give respect to women and treat them like like human beings. Or treat them like the way you would treat your daughter or your wife, with respect, with dignity. You know, don’t objectify them, don’t perpetrate violence. Correcting them does not mean hitting and beating them. It is easier to talk to people these days than to just use your fist.”
Speaking on the fight against GBV, RMD urged men to take responsibility for changing harmful attitudes and behaviours, insisting that ending violence against women is not a struggle women should fight alone.
“There are institutionalised and systemic ways that women’s rights are trampled upon in Nigeria, and it is not something only women can fight. We also have to lend our voices to organisations working for women’s rights and against gender-based violence,” he said.
The actor dismissed attempts to equate violence perpetrated by women against men with the widespread abuse suffered by women, arguing that the scale of the two situations is not comparable.
According to him, real change begins at home through the example men set for their families.
“It is the way you treat your wife, your daughter or your child that others will see and emulate,” he said.
Reflecting on changing social attitudes, RMD observed that many practices once considered acceptable were products of ignorance rather than deliberate cruelty.
He cited examples of inappropriate behaviour towards women that were once normalised in many communities, stressing that sustained public education is helping to reshape attitudes.
He praised the Male Feminists Network (MFN) initiate by the Centre LSD for taking advocacy beyond conferences and into communities by engaging commercial motorcyclists, taxi drivers, mechanics, vulcanisers, students and other grassroots groups.
“If you can get the Okada rider, the taxi driver, the mechanic, the vulcaniser and students on campuses, then you have started the real work. If this is sustained, we will see a reduction in gender-based violence,” he said.
Also speaking, Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Dr. Otive Igbuzor, said the organisation’s experience has shown that traditional and religious leaders can become powerful allies in preventing gender-based violence.
He cited interventions in communities in Cross River and Benue states where harmful practices affecting women, including discriminatory inheritance traditions and widowhood practices, were successfully challenged through dialogue with community leaders.
“Our work has shown that many traditional rulers can become promoters of the prevention of gender-based violence. We engage them to change the social norms that perpetuate violence against women, and the response has been encouraging,” Igbuzor said.
He added that culture is dynamic and evolves through enlightenment, pointing to the declining acceptance of female genital mutilation as evidence that harmful cultural practices can be abandoned.
“When I was growing up, people believed female genital mutilation was necessary during childbirth. Today, we know it is a myth and the practice has become a crime. That shows culture can change,” he said.
Presenting an overview of the project, the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Dr. Victoria Oseyande Udoh, said the initiative has evolved into a national movement with active structures across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones through six implementing partners.
Udoh explained that the project, titled “Core Support for Building a Network of Male Feminists to Prevent Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria,” commenced in April 2025 with a target of training at least 1,000 male leaders and grassroots influencers. However, within one year, the programme recorded a direct national reach of 11,721 participants.
She disclosed that 52 master trainers were trained across the six geopolitical zones and subsequently equipped more than 500 community leaders, traditional rulers and professionals with the skills to champion gender equality and prevent GBV.
According to her, implementing partners also directly trained 3,169 men and boys drawn from traditional and religious institutions, transport unions, schools, youth organisations, farmers’ associations, traders’ groups, civil society organisations and community leadership structures.
Udoh added that the network’s online certification platform further broadened its impact, attracting 8,552 participants, of whom 3,200 Nigerians successfully completed certification as male allies committed to advancing gender justice in their communities.
She said the combination of community-based engagements and digital learning enabled the project to achieve both scale and depth, creating one of Nigeria’s largest organised networks of male advocates against Gender-Based Violence.
Beyond the numbers, Udoh said the initiative established and strengthened Male Feminists Networks in multiple states while securing stronger commitment from traditional, religious and community leaders to challenge harmful gender norms and promote gender-sensitive practices.
She noted that sustained engagement with traditional and digital media significantly increased public awareness of positive masculinity and GBV prevention, helping to reshape public discourse around men’s roles in promoting equality.
The project also built the leadership capacity of male champions through mentorship and advocacy programmes, enabling them to spearhead campaigns in schools, workplaces, faith communities and local governance structures.
According to her, another key achievement was the strengthening of collaboration between male allies, women’s rights organisations and government institutions, ensuring that men’s participation complements rather than competes with women’s leadership in advancing gender equality.
While acknowledging variations in performance among implementing partners, Udoh said several organisations exceeded their assigned targets, contributing to the project’s impressive national footprint.
The event had in attendance MFN zonal coordinators ffrom across the country and other prominent ambassadors.