Concerned Women International Development Initiative-CWIDI

18/09/2026

Girls Rising Together: No Girl is Left Behind

The journey continues!

Following our engagement at Ortese IDP Camp, CWIDI has successfully taken the Girls Rising Together project to Daudu 2 IDP Camp in Guma LGA, Benue State, reaching another 125 adolescent girls and young women.

This engagement placed a deliberate focus on inclusion, prioritising girls living with disabilities and creating a safe and welcoming space where every girl could participate, learn, ask questions and have her voice heard.

Through interactive sessions, the girls explored issues around protection and GBV prevention, menstrual health and hygiene, psychosocial wellbeing, leadership, empowerment and climate resilience. The conversations were open, practical and participatory, allowing the girls to connect the lessons to their everyday experiences in the camp.

One of the most important outcomes was the selection of 20 Peer Champions who will step down the knowledge gained, support peer learning and remain engaged throughout the project. They are not just participants, they are becoming young voices for protection, dignity, menstrual health and leadership within their community.

And perhaps that is what makes Girls Rising Together so meaningful: we are not simply reaching girls; we are creating opportunities for girls to reach one another.

From one camp to another, we continue to build spaces where adolescent girls and young women, including those living with disabilities, can learn, speak up, support each other and rise together.

The journey continues. The girls are rising. And their voices matter.

Protection GBVPrevention AGYW CWIDI Purposeful Daudu2 IDPCamps BenueState GirlsLead

18/09/2026

Girls Rising Together: No Girl Is Left Behind

The journey continues!

Following our engagement at Ortese IDP Camp, CWIDI, with support from Purposeful has successfully taken the Girls Rising Together project to Daudu 2 IDP Camp in Guma LGA, Benue State, reaching another 125 adolescent girls and young women.

This engagement placed a deliberate focus on inclusion, prioritising girls living with disabilities and creating a safe and welcoming space where every girl could participate, learn, ask questions and have her voice heard.

Through interactive sessions, the girls explored issues around protection and GBV prevention, menstrual health and hygiene, psychosocial wellbeing, leadership, empowerment and climate resilience. The conversations were open, practical and participatory, allowing the girls to connect the lessons to their everyday experiences in the camp.

One of the most important outcomes was the selection of 20 Peer Champions who will step down the knowledge gained, support peer learning and remain engaged throughout the project. They are not just participants, they are becoming young voices for protection, dignity, menstrual health and leadership within their community.

And perhaps that is what makes Girls Rising Together so meaningful: we are not simply reaching girls; we are creating opportunities for girls to reach one another.

From one camp to another, we continue to build spaces where adolescent girls and young women, including those living with disabilities can learn, speak up, support each other and rise together.

The journey continues. The girls are rising. And their voices matter.

16/09/2026

A Smile. A Sense of Dignity. A Moment of Hope.

For many girls, menstruation is a normal part of growing up. But for adolescent girls living in displacement, managing their periods can come with challenges that are difficult to imagine—especially when essential menstrual hygiene materials are not always within reach.

At Ortese IDP Camp in Guma LGA, Benue State, CWIDI’s Girls Rising Together project brought more than menstrual hygiene support. It brought moments of joy, relief and dignity.

As the girls received their dignity kits, their excitement was unmistakable. There were smiles, laughter and expressions of appreciation. For these girls, the items represented something practical and deeply personal: the ability to manage their menstrual health with greater comfort, privacy and confidence.

This moment reminded us that dignity is not a luxury. It is a right.

We are grateful to every girl who participated, shared her experiences and embraced the opportunity to learn and connect. And this is only the beginning.

We look forward to taking Girls Rising Together to other IDP camps across Benue State and reconnecting with our 20 Peer Champions as they continue to support their peers and champion positive menstrual health practices within their communities.

Every girl deserves to feel confident, supported and dignified,no matter where she calls home.

15/09/2026

Girls Rising Together: Building Knowledge, Confidence and Resilience at Ortese IDP Camp

On 14 September 2026, CWIDI commenced activities under its new Girls Rising Together: Strengthening Protection, Menstrual Health and Climate Justice for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) on IDP Camps in Benue State project, supported by Purposeful

At Ortese IDP Camp in Guma LGA, 125 adolescent girls and young women participated in an interactive learning session focused on protection, GBV prevention and referral pathways, menstrual health and hygiene, psychosocial wellbeing, leadership and empowerment, and climate resilience.

The sessions created space for girls to ask questions, share lived experiences and discuss practical ways to stay safe, protect their dignity, support one another and become more confident leaders within their community.

A key outcome was the selection of 20 Peer Champions, who will help sustain peer learning and promote positive practices around protection, menstrual health, wellbeing and leadership beyond the activity.

At CWIDI, we believe that when girls have the knowledge, confidence and support to speak up, they can become powerful agents of change, even in the most challenging circumstances.
Girls are rising. Girls are leading. Girls are building stronger communities.

15/09/2026

Proud to have been part of this transformative journey with the Ambassade de France au Nigéria through the FEF-OSC programme, turning feminist diplomacy into meaningful action by amplifying women’s voices, advancing rights and strengthening collective action against gender-based violence. 🇫🇷🇳🇬

For two years, we have been asking an important question: what does feminist diplomacy look like in practice? 🇫🇷🇳🇬
Through the FEF programme, the French Embassy in Nigeria has worked with organisations and communities to strengthen women’s voices, advance gender equality, and support action against gender-based violence.
Behind every activity are people, stories, challenges, and moments of change.
We’ll be taking you through that journey soon.
Stay tuned. 👀

14/09/2026

A different response can make all the difference.

Aondoaseer Linda, a midwife in Makurdi, participated in CWIDI’s training on survivor-centred, trauma-informed and non-discriminatory care in collaboration with the Benue State Ministry of Justice.

The training changed how she interprets survivors’ behaviour. Rather than taking difficult reactions personally, she learned to consider the trauma that may be behind them.

She put this learning into practice when a young pregnant woman in labour arrived with her husband, who was fearful and upset after the couple had previously lost a baby. Instead of responding with the same frustration, Linda recognized their fear, remained calm, reassured them and focused on keeping mother and baby safe.

The woman had a safe delivery, and the family left with renewed trust in her care.

Survivor-centred care is not just about what we do. It is about how we make people feel while receiving care.

Every survivor deserves safety, dignity, informed choice and compassion.

WomenAndGirls CWIDI Benue HealthAndRights

14/09/2026

WHEN CARE BECOMES A PATHWAY TO HEALING, NOT ANOTHER SOURCE OF HARM

For Aondoaseer Linda, a midwife at Pishon Women Specialist Hospital, Makurdi, participating in CWIDI’s training on rights-based, survivor-centred, trauma-informed and non-discriminatory care changed the way she understands and responds to survivors.

The training helped her recognize that behaviours that may appear difficult or confrontational can sometimes be rooted in fear and previous trauma.

She recently applied this learning when caring for a pregnant young woman in labour whose husband was anxious and verbally abusive following the loss of their first baby. Instead of responding defensively, Linda recognized the trauma behind their fear. She remained calm, reassured them, explained her professional competence and focused on the safety of both mother and baby.

The woman went on to have a safe delivery, and the interaction ended with renewed trust.

Linda’s experience reminds us that how we respond can either support a survivor’s healing or cause further harm.

At CWIDI, we remain committed to strengthening survivor-centred care and ensuring that vulnerable adolescent girls, young women and GBV survivors are treated with dignity, safety, confidentiality and respect.

11/09/2026

Ending GBV starts with speaking up. 💜

CWIDI joined the Benue State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, GBV Sub-sector TWG, development partners and CSOs for a community sensitization on preventing and responding to GBV in Ankpa Wadata, Makurdi.

With 76 community members in attendance, we discussed GBV, harmful norms, legal protections, reporting channels and the role of community leaders in supporting survivors.

Participants committed to taking the conversation into their homes and communities as GBV ambassadors.

Every informed voice can help create a safer community. Together, let’s speak up, support survivors and take action.

WomenAndGirls BenueState CommunityAction SpeakUp

11/09/2026

This week, CWIDI joined the Benue State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, alongside the GBV Sub-sector Technical Working Group, development partners and civil society organisations, for a one-day community sensitization on Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Ankpa Wadata, Makurdi.

The engagement brought together 76 community members, including women, men, young people and community leaders, for open conversations on the different forms of GBV, its impact on individuals and families, harmful norms that fuel violence, and available reporting and support pathways.

A key takeaway was that awareness must translate into action. Participants learned about the VAPP Law and available channels for reporting GBV, including the Police Gender Unit, NAPTIP, Ministry of Women Affairs and relevant CSOs. Community leaders were also encouraged to speak up, support survivors and help create safer environments.

The community committed to taking the conversation beyond the sensitization and into individual households. As we close the week, we are reminded that preventing GBV requires all of us, communities, leaders, institutions and individuals to speak up, support survivors and take action.

Together, we can build communities where everyone can live with safety, dignity and respect.

09/09/2026

Concerned Women International Development Initiative (CWIDI) joined the Gender and Human Rights State Response Team Meeting, to review progress on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response across Benue State.

Discussions focused on strengthening coordination, improving referral pathways, and addressing emerging protection concerns affecting vulnerable populations, particularly the increasing reports of GBV among residents of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

CWIDI called for urgent and coordinated action to address GBV in IDP camps and ensure survivors have access to appropriate protection, referral and support services.

We remain committed to working with government, civil society and other stakeholders to strengthen protection systems and advance the rights, safety and dignity of women and girls across Benue State.