MCGL Nigeria Project | NANA for Women’s Leadership

Momentum Country and Global Leadership in Nigeria

Problem Statement

Our Approach On MCGL

The MCGL project adopts a comprehensive, community-led approach to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) and reduce its impact on women and girls in Nigeria. By strengthening access to quality services, reinforcing health and support systems, and promoting positive social change, the project works to create safer, more equitable communities.

In close collaboration with government ministries, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and local communities, MCGL addresses the root causes of GBV, challenges harmful gender norms, and supports survivors through coordinated care and protection services.

Enhancing survivor-centered care at health facilities through trained providers, safe spaces, and referral systems.

Promoting healthy, respectful relationships and shifting social norms through education and community engagement.

Tackling the social and economic drivers of early marriage with targeted advocacy, girl-focused education, and family support interventions.

Increasing access to reproductive health services to reduce unintended pregnancies and delay early marriage.

Our Key Activities

🔍 Formative Assessment & Co-Creation

Understanding the social norms that fuel child, early and forced marriage (CEFM), gender-based violence (GBV), and early adoption of family planning to inform responsive and community-driven interventions.

🏥 Health Facility-Level Implementation

📊 Data Validation Meetings

Monthly reviews of GBV data from supported health facilities to ensure accuracy and guide decision-making.

👩‍⚕️ Supportive Supervision

Regular mentoring visits to healthcare providers to address service delivery gaps and improve GBV service quality in collaboration with state ministries.

🤝 Learning & Coordination Meetings

LGA-level sessions for facility and community providers to reflect, share insights, and adapt based on emerging data.

✅ Quality Improvement Teams

Facility-based teams ensuring consistent care standards across GBV, ANC, OPD, and family planning services.

🏘️ Community-Level Implementation

👧 Choices, Voices, Promises (CVP)

Engages very young adolescents to challenge restrictive gender norms and promote gender equality.

🗣️ SASA! Together

A four-phase community mobilization model (Start, Awareness, Support, Action) to prevent violence against women and shift power dynamics.

💰 Women’s Savings & Loan Groups (WSLG)

Promotes financial independence and solidarity among women through savings, loans, and business support.

👨‍👩‍👧 Bandebereho (Ma’aurata Abun Koyi)

Gender-transformative sessions for expectant couples and parents of young children to encourage shared caregiving and healthy relationships.

🔗 Coordination & Organizational Strengthening

🧭 LGA Multi-sectoral GBV Coordination

Strengthens preparedness and response to GBV at the local level through surveillance and stakeholder coordination.

🏛️ NANA Capacity Development

Supported by MCGL, NANA received targeted organizational training to improve systems, governance, and service delivery.

Key Achievements of the Project

🏥 Improved GBV Service Delivery

Before MCGL, most health facilities did not treat GBV cases unless brought by police. Today, over 3,124 survivors have received care from trained health workers across supported PHCs and hospitals.

📄 Strengthened GBV Documentation

MCGL introduced tools and SOPs in 41 facilities across 4 LGAs, enabling consistent documentation of GBV cases and proper referral to needed services.

🤝 Boosted Community Accountability

Inactive structures were revived through training and feedback systems. Now, community, facility, and LGA actors coordinate responses. A local taskforce even raises funds to support survivors.

👧 Ending Child Marriage

Early marriage is no longer seen as “normal.” Open dialogues now highlight its harmful effects. Many girls have returned to school with strong parental backing.

🗣️ Empowered Adolescent Girls

Girls now speak up for their rights. Several have convinced parents to delay marriage and support their education.

👨‍👦 Promoted Gender Equality

Boys and fathers are now more involved in household chores. These shifts in gender norms are building pride and stronger family bonds.