BraveHeart Initiative for Youth & Women (BHI) is a youth led, feminist, non-governmental organization promoting young people’s s*xual reproductive health and advancing women’s rights in Nigeria. BHI was established in April 2007 and is situated at Igarra, Edo State, Nigeria. The organisation is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC/1T/NO/35325) and with the Edo State Ministry of Wo
men Affairs & Social Development. The overall goal is to improve knowledge and understanding of s*xual and reproductive rights as a means of achieving gender equality. The organization’s mission is ‘To strengthen communal systems towards a gender inclusive society’. The Vision is ‘A Gender-Equal society where girls and women thrive’. BraveHeart Initiative’s thematic focus areas are 1) Young Peoples S*xual & Reproductive Health 2) Women’s Rights & Feminist Activism. BraveHeart Initiative is one of Nigeria’s leading non-profits dedicated to addressing s*xual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and advocating for SGBV reforms. BraveHeart Initiative operationalize a multiprong approach to its SGBV intervention and has conceptualized a customized Case Management System. Their Case Management System include SGBV Case Investigations; SGBV Case Prosecution; SGBV Psychosocial Support; SGBV Socio-economic support; SGBV Legislative Advocacy and SGBV Institutional Strengthening. BHI is remarkably leading response to SGBV in Edo State, Nigeria where it has not only broken the culture of silence but has also provided a safe place for children and women that are s*xually assaulted. The organisation’s efforts in strengthening the criminal justice system in Edo State, Nigeria have led to a significant increase in prosecution of SGBV Cases. The BHI Team strongly believe that court conviction of s*x offenders is an effective prevention as well as response strategy for s*xual assault as records show that a significant number of S*x Offenders are repeat offenders. As of February 2023, BraveHeart Initiative has facilitated court conviction of twenty-eight (28) S*x Offenders in twenty-five (25) S*xual Assault Cases. The organisation has completed TWENTY-FIVE SGBV cases in court with Twenty-Two (22) victories recorded and three (3) cases lost. Twenty-One (21) of these survivors/victims were children aged 17 and below (Minors) while 4 of them were adults. All the survivors/victims were Females and all the perpetrators Male. 4 out of the 22 survivors/victims in cases won, were persons with disabilities. BraveHeart Initiative boasts of Proven-To-Work approaches for gender-responsive programming in Nigeria and believes in the power of communication to promote gender equality, hence the organization strategically engages with critical actors to bring about positive disruptions in the fight against SGBV. Due to the complexity of challenges in rural communities and the importance of a realistic approach in advancing women’s rights, BHI designed a more robust strategy that deliberately embed a gender justice agenda across all BHI’s Programs. BHI focuses on rural communitiess in Edo-North Senatorial Zone of Edo State, Nigeria. The BHI’s team is made up of fierce, passionate, and innovative young leaders who courageously address sociocultural norms that are inimical to women's rights and human dignity.
