The Sister Guardian Initiative (SGI) is SSDO’s flagship project dedicated to reducing gender-based violence in rural communities across Southeast Nigeria. The initiative establishes community-based women’s groups that raise awareness, advocate for women’s rights, and provide survivor-centred support through counselling, temporary shelter, and referrals. Currently active in 19 communities across Enugu and Anambra States, SGI also works with law enforcement officers, health workers, and traditional leaders to strengthen local response systems and promote community by-laws that protect women. By empowering influential women to lead grassroots action, SGI creates sustainable structures for preventing violence, supporting survivors, and advancing gender justice.