I-RENEW: Inclusive Religious Engagement in Nigeria Enhanced by Women is aimed to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Nigeria. It fulfils the call’s specific objective of attaining one of the strategic priorities for EU action on human rights and democracy, namely FoRB.

To this end, the action will support relevant institutions, religious leaders and faith-based organizations as well as communities to address key issues such as peacebuilding, human rights, violent extremism, and religious polarization, with a strong focus on the participation of women and youth. On the institutional level, the action will engage policy makers and influential journalists to better engage with and report on religious issues. The action will seek to strengthen the existing capacities of key religious leaders, particularly women, to become effective advocates for religious freedom and inclusion in Nigeria.

Search for Common Ground-Belgium (Search), in partnership with Search for Common Ground-USA, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association in Nigeria (FOMWAN), and Dialogue Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre, are currently implementing the 24-month action with an overall goal of empowering women religious actors and youth activists to promote freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and inter and intrareligious peaceful coexistence in Plateau and Kaduna States.