Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture June 2016, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 82-89 ISSN: 2333-5904 (Print), 2333-5912 (Online) Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. Published by American Research Institute for Policy Development DOI: 10.15640/jisc.v4n1a11 URL: https://doi.org/10.15640/jisc.v4n1a11 Traditional Mechanism to E liminate Violence against Women: A Perspective from Nigeria Dr. Mrs. Sa’adatu Hassan Liman 1 Abstract Different points of view have been projected by scholars with regard to the role culture and religious beliefs play when it comes to women empowerment against cultural traditions that are not constructive. Many of these practices, defended in the name of tradition, that impinge on human rights are gender specific; they preserve patriarchy at the expense of women’s rights. The girl child often faces discrimination from the earliest stages of life, through childhood and into adulthood. These cultural traditions among others are responsible for the physical and psychological underdevelopment of women and the girl-child and that in turn affects their input in the development of their nation. There are catalogue of traditional practices in Nigeria which include, girl-child marriages, educational backwardness, widowhood rituals, spousal abuse, irresponsible divorce, male-child preference, female circumcision among others. The need to transform cultural beliefs that perpetuate violence against women can never be over emphasized. These practices constitute violence against women and as such must be treated as a national crisis. There can be no justice, development nor democracy if violence against women is seen accepted. The paper’s aim is to seek ways of utilizing tradition (religion and culture) in achieving women’s equality and empowerment as stated in UN Sustainable Development G oal. Hence, the paper reviews the challenges of traditional practices and examines the possibilities available for women empowerment by utilising religious and positive cultural practices. This is done through eliminating traditional practices detrimental to female empowerment while the positive elements of the tradition are retained. 1. Introduction Traditional cultural practices reflect values and beliefs held by members of a community for periods often spanning generations. These cultural practices are either beneficial or harmful. It is these harmful cultural practices among others, that are responsible for the physical and psychological underdevelopment of women and the girl-child and that in turn affect their input in the development of their nation. These harmful traditional practices include Female Genital Cutting (FGC), early marriage, traditional birth practices, preference of male child against female and its attendant implications on the girl-child, reproductive health rights, and nutritional taboo among others. The need to transform cultural beliefs that constitute and perpetuate violence against women can never be over emphasized. Human rights organizations and health professionals worldwide struggle with how to address traditional harmful practices. These practices constitute violence against women and as such must be treated as a national crisis. There can be neither justice, development nor democracy if violence against women is accepted and promoted. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country going by the demographic figures of the National Population Commission of 2006; Nigeria is populated by more than one hundred and fifty million persons and with different and distinct languages, cultural attitudes, sensibilities, varied religious belief systems and practices (Abara 2012:3). The population of Nigeria is projected at 178,516,904 as of July 1, 2014, while the statistics for 2015 projection is 182,523,432 (Population of Nigeria…). 1 Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts, Nasarawa State University, K effi – Nigeria. saaliman70@ gmail.com