On June 14, 2025, at the Bafra Hotel in Kaduna, the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) convened a pivotal peer-to-peer engagement under its Muslim Opinion Leaders for Gender-Based Violence prevention (MOLS4GBV) project where 30 Shari’a court Judges shared their experience in applying new methods in GBV adjudication.

The workshop brought together over 30 Sharia court judges from Kano and Kaduna States, alongside key stakeholders, including representatives from the Kano State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Children, and the Disabled, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Human Services, the National Human Rights Coordinator, and respected traditional leaders.

Through direct interactions, education, and the sharing of experiences with Muslim opinion leaders and scholars, including Sharia court judges, attitudes are shifting in favour of gender justice.

Facilitated by dRPC, the peer-to-peer model is proving critical to the reform of Sharia court processes to improve access to justice for GBV survivors.

With dRPC’s support, Sharia court judges in Kano State are now spearheading experience-sharing sessions to disseminate these principles to their counterparts in Kaduna. These reforms, rooted in increased knowledge of Islam’s stance on GBV and the protection of women, are enabling more survivor-centered judicial outcomes.

The workshop fostered cross-state collaboration, allowing judges to align strategies and build a unified commitment toward combating GBV. The success in Kano is already inspiring growing dedication in Kaduna, strengthening the regional framework for justice.

This peer-led initiative, supported by dRPC, is more than a workshop; it is a movement. As Kano and Kaduna lead the way, this model offers a replicable framework for other regions working to build accessible, equitable, and efficient justice systems for GBV survivors