Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi had firsthand experience with sexual assault. Since then, she has dedicated her life to fighting for survivors like herself. As the founder of Stand to End Rape (STER), she is addressing sexual violence and unashamedly breaking the culture of silence in Nigeria.
Osowobi’s life took a profound turn during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program. She was assigned to a small village to work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the 2011 elections. When she refused a bribe to register underage voters, she faced a harrowing act of violence orchestrated by the community.
She told The Guardian that experiencing sexual assault left her devastated and shattered, mainly because she had been assaulted as a virgin, breaking her family’s tradition of girls marrying as virgins. Thereafter, she struggled with self-blame. Even the police, whom she turned to for justice, failed her.
“One of the officials had said they needed to “confirm” my claim of being assaulted. He literally said they had to check me. I felt humiliated,” Oluwaseun Osowobi, founder of Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER).
At her lowest point, Osowobi’s mother encouraged and advised her to find a way to be part of the solution since she was hurting so much. That advice was her turning point, and two years after the assault, she founded Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER).
Founding Stand to End Rape (STER)
Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER) was founded in 2013. Being a survivor herself, Oluwaseun Osowobi knew survivors of sexual violence deserved more than silence, stigma, and neglect. They needed a voice, a community, and support.
Thus, STER was built to create a society free from sexual violence. The organisation’s work focuses on three main pillars: Prevention – educating communities about sexual violence, consent, and gender equality; Intervention– offering immediate support to survivors; and Advocacy – challenging harmful societal norms and pushing for stronger legal protections.
“I advocate for sexual assault victims because I was one of them. I had no help or support. I decided to bridge the gap between victims and the services, laws and support they require,” says Osowobi.
STER also offers a range of free services to survivors, including counselling and therapy and referrals to trusted centres like the Mirabel Centre and the Women at Risk Foundation (WARIF) for post-rape care, including emergency contraceptives and testing for sexually transmitted infections, etc.
Since its inception, STER has offered free medical care, legal aid, and counselling to over 250 survivors of sexual violence.
Oluwaseun collaborated with BBC Africa Eye in 2019 on the #SexforGrades documentary. It was an exposé on sexual harassment in Nigerian universities that revealed how professors used their positions to exploit students. The project raised dust and led to the relaunch of the Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institutions Prohibition Bill at the National Assembly.
Outside her work at STER, Oluwaseun Osowobi is a founding member of the Feminist Coalition, which gained global attention during the #EndSARS protests in 2020. She has also worked with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria, assisting survivors of trafficking and exploitation.
She was named the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year (2019) and received the Global Citizen Prize: Nigeria’s Hero Award (2020). She has also been listed on TIME 100 NEXT for her contributions to advocacy and gender equality.
