Education as a Vaccine, team members at the Fame Foundation Tournament
On March 8, 2024, we joined the Fame Foundation and other civil society organisations at their annual sports tournament to promote inclusion for young girls and women in sports. During the event we networked with participants and advocated for improved SRHR practices and gender equality, promoting a more inclusive and equitable environment.
We were invited to the UN Women programme which aimed to enhance gender-responsive security operations and community dialogue. The workshop also aided in the sensitisation of members of Nigeria security and civil defence corps about the imperative of zero tolerance for violence and harassment in the workplace as we shared insights from our “What She Was Wearing” campaign, highlighting the importance of enforcing zero-tolerance policies for gender-based violence.
Cross sections of participants at the Launch of the SafeGuarding Policy at Nasarawa State
Gender-based violence (GBV) is not just a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue. And it’s our collective responsibility to create a world where no one has to live in fear of violence or discrimination because of their gender. In Nasarawa State, we launched the school related GBV safeguarding policy in Nasarawa State, ensuring students can learn without fear of SGBV thus creating a safe & inclusive learning environment with support from the federal ministry of education and rise-up for girls.
Cross section of participants at EVA’s activity Kickoff In FuLafia.
Sexual harassment within educational communities not only violates the rights of women but also erodes the fundamental principles of a safe and equitable learning environment. Aligning with international women’s history month, our team convened a two-day dialogue at the federal university of Lafia with 115 female students in attendance, to address the pervasive issue of sexual harassment faced by female students in tertiary institutions. This dialogue enabled students to share their experiences and interact with one another on the issue of sexual harassment. Building on this student engagement, we subsequently organised a 2-day event, attended by 80 staff members from across the institution, focusing on addressing and preventing sexual harassment at FuLafia. This event was made possible through the support of the African Women’s Development Fund.
AACJ spotlight Image: Our Advocate in Ghana for the FEMNET training
We recognise that empowering grassroots women’s organisations and leadership can be accomplished through mentorship, training, and guidance, equipping these groups with strategies to bolster community resilience. To drive sustainable environments, we had dialogues with women groups across two states, linking these women’s groups and forming networks that plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, and learn together to increase their chances of being equipped with the proper knowledge and practices through peer-to-peer learning exchanges with support from FEMNET on the African Activist for Climate Justice Project. These dialogues focused on strengthening the capacity of women’s groups, with a keen focus on gender justice and gender-responsive financing. After the activity, an advocacy plan was developed to guide their future engagements around climate justice in their respective states. Furthermore, we engaged in the capacity strengthening and annual planning meeting of the FEMNET coalition for climate and gender justice in Burkina Faso. A significant outcome was our sponsorship of a journalism fellow to attend a strategic convening in Ghana, dedicated to amplifying the African feminist voice on climate justice.
Adolescent’s and Young leaders at the Inception Meeting for the “Lift-Equity” project
In our efforts to ensure that adolescent and young people continue to access youth friendly sexual reproductive health services, we are in partnership with other organisations advocating for lowering the age of access to HIV and related health services in Nigeria from 18 to 14 years, through the “Lift-Equity” project. This is to further ongoing efforts to end the epidemic and ensure comprehensive healthcare for all young people. Through our meetings with relevant stakeholders, including representatives from the federal ministry of health, ministry of youth affairs and education, we have gained valuable insights and commitments, including an agreement on the importance of lowering the age of access, identifying key barriers and challenges, developing a roadmap for project implementation and establishing a robust partnership framework. Together, we are addressing the unique needs of young people and ensuring access to comprehensive healthcare services.
Education as a Vaccine 
