In a touching effort to strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, in collaboration with the Clinic for Human Rights, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), launched the Next Gen Nexus, an eight-week Virtual Institute on Sexual Violence Response, Leadership, and Advocacy. The project, sponsored by the African Women Development Fund (AWDF), was officially initiated on the 6th of October, and it brought together fifty young female undergraduates from the OAU for a training that was designed to equip them with the information, courage, and leadership skills to resist sexual violence and discrimination in their societies.
The inaugural session, held online via Zoom meeting, set a tone of intention and commitment as participants, facilitators, and members of BAOBAB gathered together to commemorate the beginning of the empowerment journey. Far exceeding the learning space, Next Gen Nexus seeks to build a generation of feminist leaders, young women who will become advocates, educators, and agents of change in the ongoing struggle for gender justice.
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Sexual violence and harassment are systemic within Nigerian society, held in place by silence, cultural taboos, and institutional failure. BAOBAB’s intervention will specifically address the crisis by utilising education, advocacy, and leadership development as tools of social change. The program recognises that deep change must begin with educated people who are both courageous, compassionate and who can confront injustice at all levels of society.
BAOBAB’s purpose, according to the Institute, is to link leadership and advocacy by equipping participants to be strategic thinkers, good communicators, and engaged human rights defenders. Its approach combines feminist pedagogy and an asset-based learning approach that places lived experience on par with intellectual knowledge, encouraging participants to learn through reflection, cooperation, and application.
Within the Opening Session
The initial session, beginning at 3:00 PM, started with opening remarks and e-orientation. Participants got familiar with the virtual classroom and orientations regarding expectations of active engagement in the eight-week training. The week facilitator, Anne Lawal, presented the Program Overview, syllabus, and learning objectives and invited participants to a quick question-and-answer session. The atmosphere was participatory, as students were asked to introduce themselves and tell the meaning of their names, with the story behind it.
The mood shifted to reflection for self through a Solidarity Building activity, which led to the question for the participants to differentiate between ‘Privilege and Power’. Some mentioned they work hand in hand, while others also shared their perspectives.
The activities resumed with Co-Creation of Group Norms, where the members did a joint creation of values that will guide their interactions: respect, empathy, inclusiveness, and confidentiality. In this segment, reaffirmed that the Institute reaffirmed its commitment to creating a safe and empowering environment for learning, with everyone being able to share their perspectives and get involved in the conversation.
The final segment was a sneak peek into the “Learning + Doing” philosophy, which was part of the program’s key elements, where theory is turned into practice. Each participant is also required to design and implement a mini-advocacy project within the eight-week time frame. The day concluded with reflection and a sharing of a link to all participants to fill in their details and mentioning that attendance and participation are compulsory to obtain a certificate, in which the statements wrap up the highlights and pave the way for the following weeks.
The Next Gen Nexus boasts a highly experienced team of facilitators whose background is in gender development, advocacy, media, and youth protection in the sense of Anne Adidu-Lawal, Coordinating Instructor, Chibogu Obinwa, Programme Director BAOBAB, Kolawole Olatosimi, National Coordinator of the Child and Youth Protection Foundation and Gwendolyn Oshoniyi, a media professional and founder of the Media Foundation.
Also, the Vision Grounded in Change of Next Gen Nexus is structured in five principal modules: Foundations, Sexual Violence Understanding, Transformative Leadership, Action and Advocacy, and Showcase and Transition. Each week, the participants will learn something new about leadership and gender rights while developing their mini-advocacy projects with rigorous mentorship.
Speaking at the opening, a facilitator described the program as ‘a space where silence is broken and leadership is redefined.’ She went on to say, ‘This is not so much about teaching advocacy; it is about empowering young women to find the power they already have and learn how to harness it to change the world.’
Throughout the program, the Next Gen Nexus promises to leave a lasting impact on participants and the broader academic community. It is not a training site but the beginning of a movement to forge a generation of young women who will no longer be silenced by oppression, but instead will lead, speak, and act for justice, equality, and freedom.