The Journeys of Courage: Nigeria booklet highlights how young women and their allies are reshaping SRHR in a context marked by inequality, stigma, and long-standing social barriers.
As Funom Yakubu reflects in her foreword, when young women lead, change becomes unavoidable, and the stories in these pages show exactly how that leadership takes form. From Intersex Nigeria’s historic collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health to lay the foundation for the country’s first-ever intersex-inclusive healthcare guideline, to the powerful testimonies of intersex persons and their families, these accounts reveal the kind of progress that happens when silence is replaced by informed advocacy. The impact of TFT’s Na Awa Mata radio program also comes through clearly: millions of listeners across northern Nigeria engaging in new conversations on family planning, with families like Mallam Gambo’s finding the information they needed to make decisions with confidence.
This booklet also spotlights the strength of emerging youth-led movements, such as the Youth Network for Young Women in South-West Nigeria, a collective built by queer women, women living with HIV, young women with disabilities, and others who have long been on the margins. Their shared spaces, grounded in trust and solidarity, have become places where young women feel seen, heard, and able to define their priorities.
Together with the Community of Action organizations, these young leaders have pushed policy conversations forward, challenged harmful norms, and built bridges with duty bearers and health systems. These stories show Nigeria’s We Lead journey as it truly unfolded: young women stepping into their power and communities beginning to listen differently.
