BAOBAB Trains 50 OAU Female Students on Leadership, Advocacy Against Sexual Violence
By Austine Agbo Emmanuel
Kaduna.
BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights has launched the sixth cohort of its Sexual Violence Response, Leadership and Advocacy (SVRLA) Institute, training fifty female students from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on transformative leadership and advocacy against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria.
Speaking at the virtual opening of the program, the Program Director of BAOBAB, Annie Adidu, said the SVRLA Institute seeks to equip young women with the knowledge, confidence, and leadership capacity to challenge impunity and promote gender justice within their campuses and communities.
Adidu explained that the eight-week training, themed “The Next Gen Nexus,” builds on the achievements of previous cohorts and focuses on deepening participants’ understanding of sexual violence and strengthening their ability to lead survivor-centered advocacy efforts.
According to her, the participants will go through five core modules, including Foundations of Learning, Understanding Sexual Violence, Transformative Leadership, Action and Advocacy, and Showcase and Transition.
She noted that the SVRLA Institute, which began in 2020, has so far trained 165 young female undergraduates across five cohorts, many of whom have gone on to lead campus campaigns, initiate community sensitization projects, and contest leadership positions in their institutions.
Also speaking during the opening session, BAOBAB’s Executive Director, Yeye Bunmi Dipo-Salami, described the SVRLA Institute as more than just a training program, stressing that it represents a growing movement of young women committed to reshaping narratives and building a society free from sexual violence.
“The SVRLA Institute is not just a training program; it is a movement. Each cohort adds to a growing community of young women who are driving sustainable change in how Nigeria responds to sexual violence,” she said.
Adidu added that at the end of the training, each participant will design and present a mini-advocacy project aimed at influencing policy and shifting social norms around gender-based violence. Graduates of the program automatically join the SVRLA Alumni Network, a platform that provides continuous mentorship, peer support, and engagement in ongoing advocacy initiatives.
Since its establishment in 1996, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights has remained at the forefront of promoting gender equality, women’s leadership, and protection of rights under Nigeria’s customary, religious, and statutory laws. Its core thematic areas include women’s political participation, gender and accountable governance, leadership development, and the elimination of violence against women and girls.
