Young people in underrepresented communities and IDP camps across Abuja have completed a transformative gender justice project that empowered them to speak out through storytelling and creative advocacy.
The initiative, titled “Our Voice, Our Power,” engaged adolescent girls and boys from Durumi and the New Kuchingoro IDP camp, demonstrating how imagination, dialogue, and media can drive community change.
Implemented by Ogri Caro-Ann Aricha, Opeyemi Adenikan, Elizabeth Kedonojo Umoru, and Priye Diri, Fellows of the Nigerian Green Academy, the project combined film education, creative writing, and feminist mentorship, with funding from Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
According to the organisers, the goal was clear: “to give young people the knowledge and confidence to identify inequalities and speak against them.” The programme focused on feminism, allyship, bodily autonomy, gender rights, and ethical leadership.
Twenty adolescents aged 13 to 18 were selected through a reflective writing exercise titled “My Dream of a Gender Equal World,” which introduced them to key themes while encouraging personal expression.
As the project progressed, participants began to see themselves differently, shifting from passive observers to active community members capable of influence and leadership.
A major highlight was the screening of documentaries on African women changemakers and positive masculinity, which opened conversations on barriers faced by girls and the pressures shaping boys.
In reflection circles, girls spoke about safety, early marriage, and silencing, while boys confronted ideas around dominance and accountability, supported by facilitators and feminist leaders including Dorothy Njemanze, Nafisa Atiku, and Kenneth Kamah.
Through structured workshops, participants moved from journaling to scripting short advocacy pieces, later producing videos that addressed issues such as girls’ education, menstrual hygiene, fairness in decision-making, empathy, and inclusion.
The advocacy videos were launched online under the hashtag #HerVoiceHerPower, spotlighting girls while positioning boys as visible allies, and inviting wider public engagement on youth-led gender justice.
Beyond workshops, participants gained skills in teamwork, public speaking, leadership, and responsible social media use, with each encouraged to share lessons within homes, schools, youth groups, and the IDP camp.
The project also produced a book titled “My Dream of a Gender Equal World,” featuring the adolescents’ essays, alongside seven advocacy videos, all created between August and November.
Supported by FEMBUDNG and Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Our Voice, Our Power stands as a significant contribution to feminist education, reaffirming that “when young voices are amplified, communities reflect—and change begins.”
