In a heartwarming move to curb harmful traditional practices and promote gender equality, over 1000 adolescent boys in Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State, have been trained by Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria (TBI) to become Gender Champions and Agents of Change.
The one-day training, organized by TBI in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria and the Oyo State Ministry of Education, aimed to equip the boys with life skills, digital literacy, sexuality education, and positive masculinity values.
Executive Director of Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria, Dr. Dare Olagoke-Adaramoye, commended UNICEF Nigeria and the Oyo State Government for their steadfast partnership and highlighted the crucial role of boys in building a fairer society.
“Positive masculinity begins with reorienting our boys to become protectors, not perpetrators, of harmful practices,” he said.
Adaramoye stressed that the initiative reaffirms Trailblazer Initiative’s commitment to empowering adolescents, strengthening community structures, and supporting the partnership between UNICEF and the Oyo State Government in eliminating FGM and all forms of violence against children in the state.
Also speaking at the training, TBI Programme Assistant, Mrs. Bamidele Oluwapelumi, described the initiative as a vital step toward nurturing a new generation of informed and responsible young men who will actively reject violence and discrimination against women and girls.
The participants are expected to establish Boys’ Clubs in their schools and communities to lead peer-to-peer advocacy against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other gender-based harmful practices.
At the end of the training, the boys formed Gender Champion Clubs that will carry out at least eight peer-to-peer sessions across schools and communities, with a projected reach of over 1Million adolescents.
The participants expressed excitement about their new roles, pledging to use their voices and digital platforms to advocate for the abandonment of FGM and the promotion of gender respect within their communities.
