Abimbola Aladejare is a popular Nigerian activist and anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) campaigner and gender advocate. She is the founder and Executive Director of The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) based in Ado Ekiti. She speaks in this interview by SAM NWAOKO on the activities of her NGO, state of anti-FGM advocacy and her recent appointment as Africa Union Ambassador.
You are known as the brain behind The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD), Nigeria. What other things do you do?
I am the convener of an Adolescent Reproductive Health and Right programme tagged “When Girls Talk” and “When Boys Connect” for adolescent boys and girls. I organise a yearly matured single ladies retreat for single ladies above 28 years old, where young single women can retreat for the year, rub minds with fellow young women, learn from one another and build a support system against societal pressure and intimidation while they engage in conscious planning for the coming year. I also run a Bible club for kids in my house on a weekly basis. I’m an author, I authored the book: “A Different Lady…becoming the lady you ought to be”. The book is available on Amazon, Ebay, abebooks, adlibris and other online platforms. Apart from all these, I also work as a member of the Ekiti State SDGs Board, Ekiti State Covid-19 Task Force and member National Technical Committee on FGM in Nigeria since 2014.
What exactly does NIGAWD do? How far have you gone with the organisation?
NIGAWD is a registered non-governmental organisation based in Nigeria with the vision to achieve a society where women are intellectually, politically and socially empowered as positive change drivers. NIGAWD was established and registered with CAC in 2012 and is duly recognised by the United Nations with Special Consultative ECOSOC status. NIGAWD is at the forefront of campaigning for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation in Ekiti State and Nigeria. We have partnered with international and local organisations including UNFPA, UNDP, UNODC, The Girl Generation, Population Council, National Democratic Institute, USAID, UKAID, Victim Support Fund, as well as ministries, departments and agencies across Nigeria to implement programs and project targeted at improving the lives of women and girls, children and youth. Within the 8 years of NIGAWD existence, the organisation has implemented ground breaking interventions which include the non-violence election campaign tagged Vote Not Fight Campaign during the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State which ensured youth peaceful participation and a no-violence electoral process, the Ekiti Youth Agenda Campaign in 2019 which led a coordinated advocacy to the Government to implement the youth demands captured in the Ekiti Youth Agenda policy document and lots of FGM edutainment campaigns on campuses working with Nollywood actors as well as working in rural and urban communities of Ekiti State and Southwest Nigeria.
You are a brand ambassador of The Girl Generation (TGG) in Nigeria. What responsibilities does this confer on you?
Representing the Girl Generation has been an awesome experience for me. I was able to learn a lot from foremost feminists and gender activists in the world by working closely with them, participated in world conferences and programs committed to making life better for women and girls, especially in the area of ending female genital mutilation and child marriage in Africa. As one of The Girl Generation Ambassadors, I represented the Nigerian youth during the 1st United States endFGM Summit in Washington DC where I spoke with millions of people about my experience and how we ensure the coming generations of girls don’t have to go through abuse of their rights. It gave me tremendous opportunity to learn and network as well as speak with and for the right of women and girls in Africa.
The Africa Union (AU) has also appointed you as the West African Saleema Youth Victorious Ambassador. What does this entail?
I am most grateful to God Almighty for my selection by the African Union Commission as the West African Saleema Youth Victorious Ambassador. For me the ambassadorial role comes with lots of responsibilities and it is a call to serve at a more advanced level of engagement and advocacy including policy advocacy to heads of states, policy makers and implementers; women and youth groups for the accelerated abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation in the West African region and working with my five other sisters from the four other regions and the Diaspora. We will drive stakeholders’ support for an Africa without the violation of rights of girls and women.
As the AU ambassador, what prospects do you see? Where is this leading you and NIGAWD?
I see a greater platform to dare to lend my voice, contribute my quota to the advancement of women and girls in Africa and the world, thereby making a change.
How much of female genital mutilation (FGM) issues are there still on the front burner? Where are your focal areas now?
A lot have been done in the areas of education, advocacy and campaigns. Lots more need to be done. But one area I am pushing forward is the area of support for survivors. Having a survivors’ network in Africa and a support fund for victims of FGM and child marriage, I will be advocating more for establishment of survivor centres where victims can get support to translate from being a victim to being a victor and a survivor. Women need to support one another; we understand the pain and the triggers of trauma much more from experience so we can support one another.
Do the current statistics give you hope, especially when you look at South Western Nigerian states of Ekiti and Osun?
Yes, looking at the National Demographic Health survey 2018 in Nigeria, there is hope that our effort in the past 6 years isn’t in vain. The prevalence of FGM in Osun reduced drastically from 76.6% to 45.9 % while that of Ekiti also reduced from 72.3% in 2015 to 57.9% in 2018. Though more work needs to been done in Ekiti, we thank all the partners and the government that have supported by providing an enabling environment as well as technical and financial support to work and champion the abandonment process. All hands must be on deck now than ever as we are at the tipping point.
How do you juggle all the responsibilities of advocacy, campaigns and sensitisation with females, especially the young? How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work?
Multitasking and divine strength! Of course COVID-19 affected a lot and for a long time our campaigns and community engagements were placed on hold while we received more calls about cases of gender-based violence triggered by the lockdown.
What exactly do you tell these young people? How do you motivate them to follow your charge?
The best I have learnt to do is to inspire using real life experience of myself and others willing to share, it is absolutely up to the younger people to make the best out of every opportunity they have.
How do you unwind? If you have a choice of a vacation, where would you like to go to?
I stay off work to rest, listen to good music and spend quality time with God for spiritual renewal. If I have a choice of vacation, I will love to do sight-seeing at Bora Bora, Paris, France and North America.
If you are to tinker with some of Ekiti State or Nigeria’s laws regarding what you do, which one would it be and why?
Nigerian Constitution! We need a gender-sensitive constitution!
What’s your advice to those who would see you as a role model and the womenfolk in general?
I take my being in God, I put Him first and He keeps lifting up my head. After God, you need capacity, capacity and skills will give you a voice in a gender biased society. They will always reach out to you if they need the job to be done, if you build your capacity to the level of relevance. You will not have to fight to be heard, your relevance will make a way for you.
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