Late Bene Madunagu and Grace Osakue are visionary activists committed to empowering girls and young women in Nigeria. Together, they co-founded the Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI), a feminist youth development organisation dedicated to addressing gender inequality and transforming patriarchal norms. GPI has grown into a formidable force for change, with five centres across Nigeria- Calabar, Benin City, Uyo, Yenagoa, and Abuja – impacting over 300,000 girls through its programs.
Founding Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI)
The motivation to start GPI stemmed from the founders’ experiences in a women’s initiative, where they observed a gap in the active realisation of human rights for girls. They decided to “catch them young” by providing girls with knowledge and leadership skills from a gender and human rights perspective.
Beginning with their daughters and friends in Edo and Cross River States, GPI structured a three-year Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program that emphasised gender equality and human rights. Over the years, this safe space initiative has evolved into a robust program offering leadership training, advocacy skills, and entrepreneurship development, preparing young women to advocate for social change.
Guided by the belief that gender equality is achievable against all odds, GPI envisions a future where women are visible and valued societal actors. Their mission is to empower children and young ladies with accurate information and skills, enabling them to take social action and challenge harmful traditional practices.
Through education, leadership training, and reproductive health awareness, GPI tackles critical issues affecting girls, such as harmful cultural norms and limited access to education. Their activities include workshops, policy advocacy, public dialogues, and action-oriented programs to empower participants. GPI’s CSE program, which culminates in membership in the GPI Alumnae Association (GAA), has become a hallmark of its approach, producing graduates who are advocates, leaders, and entrepreneurs in their communities.
GPI has earned local and international recognition with a minimum of 50 funders and partners, including UNICEF and UNFPA. These partnerships have enabled the organisation to expand its vision and sustain its mission of promoting children’s rights, especially girls, in Nigeria.
GPI has demonstrated that advocacy, education, and consistent action for nearly three decades can pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable society. The initiative’s legacy continues to inspire, empowering Nigerian girls to become leaders and change-makers. As long as girls out there are ignorant of their sexuality, human rights and health, they have decided not to tune down their efforts.
