Exploring the Role of University-Based Gender Centres in Responding to SGV and Advancing Gender Equality in Nigeria

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Exploring the Role of University-Based Gender Centres in Responding to SGV and Advancing Gender Equality in Nigeria

Universities are more than just centres of learning; they are microcosms of society where ideas, identities, and power intersect. In this regard, the roles of centers of excellence including Gender Centres within Nigerian tertiary institutions cannot be overstated. They represent a crucial bridge between policy and practice—between the gown and the town—by promoting gender equality, addressing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and fostering inclusive environments where all members of the university community can thrive.

This study, “Exploring the Role of University-Based Gender Centres in Responding to SGBV and Advancing Gender Equality in Nigeria: The ‘Gown to Town’ Approach,” provides timely and evidence-based insights into how Gender Centres have evolved as institutional drivers of change. By engaging five universities—Federal University Lafia, Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Bayero University Kano, and the University of Calabar; the research documents both progress and persisting challenges in mainstreaming gender equality within Nigeria’s higher education landscape.

The findings illuminate the power of leadership, policy enforcement, survivor-centred programming, and community engagement in transforming campus cultures. They also underscore the urgent need for sustainable financing, and institutional commitment to ensure that Gender Centres move beyond symbolic existence to become catalysts for lasting change.

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