KADUNA — As part of its ongoing mission to protect the rights of young women, the Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) held a high-level community sensitization workshop on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
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The event, organized under the EmpowerHer Project, brought together traditional leaders, health practitioners , and parents to address the persistent challenges of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage.
The workshop featured a multi-disciplinary approach, combining legal, medical, and social perspectives to challenge deeply entrenched communal practices.
The Program Manager for the EmpowerHer Project opened the session by outlining the project’s core mission.
She emphasized that eradicating FGM and early marriage is not just a social goal but a necessity for the physical and psychological survival of the girl child.
“The aim of this workshop is simple: to eradicate the practices of FGM and early marriage.
Through the EmpowerHer program, we are creating a roadmap where every girl in this community knows her value and her rights are protected by the very people meant to guard them.”
Adding a strong legal framework to the dialogue, Dr. Rabiu Ibrahim Abdulahi, State Coordinator, Legal Lead Counsel, and Secretary of FIDA (International Federation of Women Lawyers) Kaduna State, educated participants on the statutory protections available to girls.
“We must understand that the ‘Right to be a Girl’ is protected under the law. Education is the greatest shield we can give these children, and it is our collective duty to ensure that no tradition is used as a loophole to bypass the legal rights of our daughters.”
Providing a grim look at the physical toll of these practices, Rachel Sankiya Daniel, a Public Health Nurse with the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Center, detailed the long-term health complications associated with FGM and early pregnancy.
“FGM is not just a ‘tradition’; it is a medical trauma that follows a woman for life. We see the consequences every day at the referral center.
The practice remains in vogue due to deep-seated myths, but the medical reality is one of pain, infection, and obstructed labor.”
The event concluded with a post-test assessment, designed to measure the shift in mindset among the key stakeholders in attendance, including the Sarkin (traditional head) and various parents.
Early indicators suggest a growing consensus among community leaders to prioritize the health and education of girls over harmful traditional norms.
