Examining the Implementation of the National Policy on Violence Against Women in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria

This study examines the implementation of Nigeria's National Policy on Violence Against Women in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, with a focus on gaps between policy intentions and programmatic outcomes. Violence against women, including domestic abuse, sexual harassment, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation, remains a pervasive human rights challenge across Nigeria, including in Kaduna State where conservative social norms intersect with pockets of ethno-religious tension. Drawing on gender policy analysis frameworks and recent gender-based violence literature from 2019 to 2024, the study adopts a descriptive survey design. Data are collected from 210 respondents comprising social welfare officers, police personnel, healthcare providers, women's rights groups, and survivors through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistics and content analysis are applied. The study anticipates finding critical implementation deficits including inadequate funding of protection services, limited awareness of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, insufficient survivor support infrastructure, and cultural barriers to reporting and prosecution. The study also evaluates inter-ministerial coordination between the Ministries of Women Affairs, Justice, and Health in delivering integrated response services. Recommendations will address strengthening legal aid services, expanding safe houses, training law enforcement officers on gender-sensitive protocols, and integrating community-based prevention strategies in Kaduna State. Keywords: violence against women, policy implementation, gender-based violence, Kaduna State, women's rights