BAUCHI, Nigeria — About 200 adolescent girls and young women, including those living with disabilities, are undergoing a six-month skills acquisition programme in Bauchi State aimed at tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and promoting economic empowerment.
The initiative, titled “STEAMinists Against Gender-Based Violence”, is being implemented by the Girl-Child Values Support Initiative with support from the French Embassy Fund. The project seeks to empower participants aged 18 to 35 with digital, technical, and creative skills that can provide pathways to financial independence and resilience against GBV.
Participants are currently being trained across five centres in Bauchi in nine areas, including application development, graphics design, visual arts, web design, 3D animation and modelling, soldering and electronics, photography and videography, digital storytelling and podcasting, as well as drama and theatre.
Speaking on the initiative, Owa Oluwatosin Zuriel, Senior Programmes Officer of the Girl-Child Values Support Initiative, explained that the STEAMinists project — an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics — uses innovation and technology as tools to combat GBV.
“We’re training girls with and without disabilities across nine different fields. The goal is to prepare them for the future workforce so they can secure remote and sustainable jobs,” Zuriel said.
“About 10% of the beneficiaries are girls with disabilities, and the project has so far been a huge success.”
Zuriel highlighted poverty as a major driver of gender-based violence, stressing that empowerment and education are vital to reducing vulnerability.
“Poverty is the number one reason why many women remain unaware of their rights and become victims of abuse. Our approach is twofold — providing both knowledge of GBV and practical skills to tackle poverty,” he added.
He revealed that the trainees are currently in their project implementation phase, developing innovative community-based solutions to address GBV. Some participants, he noted, are already using their newly acquired skills to improve their communities — such as adjusting solar generators to provide lighting, a move he said contributes to reducing insecurity and GBV risks.
Zuriel further explained that while participants would not receive starter packs, they would be linked to partner organisations and agencies that could help them find employment or business opportunities after the training.
“The plan is to connect them to agencies where they can be engaged to make a living. Through that, their future is guaranteed,” he said.
For many of the trainees, the experience has been transformative.
Jaiyeola Shayola Dolapo Sharon, a participant focusing on graphic design, said the training has helped her build professional competence and earn income.
“I had a basic idea of graphics before joining, but now I’ve improved significantly and even started making money. This skill will help me fight poverty, which is one of the main causes of gender-based violence,” she said.
Another participant, Mansurat Abdulkareem, described the programme as both engaging and empowering.
“I love creating and implementing new ideas through design. So far, I’ve already started getting paid jobs. With these skills, I’ll be able to fight poverty and support other women — and that will help reduce GBV in our communities,” she said.
The STEAMinists Against Gender-Based Violence project, now in its final month of implementation, continues to serve as a beacon of hope for young women in Bauchi State, promoting inclusion, empowerment, and the fight against gender inequality.
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