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THE BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, a not-for-profit organization domiciled in Abuja, on Thursday, February 2, 2023, successfully inaugurated its Lagos Volunteer Outreach Team at the Amber Residence, Ikeja, Lagos.
While speaking at the formal inauguration, the Assistant Executive Director of the organization and the Programme Director, Anne Adidu-Lawal, stated that the emergence of BAOBAB in the year 1996 was a result of three years of territorial research in about 12 states of the country between the years 1993 to 1996, adding that BAOBAB was established to protect and enhance basic human rights as it pertains to women, especially customary, statutory, and religious laws.
She also declared that the organization is big on mentoring, capacity building, collaboration, and partnerships, stating that the vision of the organization is to ensure that women’s and girls’ human rights become an integral part of everyday life.
She then went on to discuss the Maputo Protocol, noting that it is an instrument of the African Union Charter to protect women and it looks at cultures, religions, and practices peculiar to Africa and Africans and the need to amplify voices and demands towards the domestication of the Maputo protocol in Nigeria to ensure that all barriers to the development of women and girls in Nigeria are addressed.
Speaking on the need for Outreach Stations, Anne affirmed that the establishment of the stations will give the organization leverage as regards knowing what’s happening at the grassroots level. She also stated that the Lagos Outreach Station is the eighth station of the organization which other stations existing in Ondo, Kano, Nassarawa, and Zamfara, among others.
On her part, the Communication and Outreach Coordinator, Ene Oshaba, equally gave an overview of the Outreach teams and urged members to be dedicated to the cause of BAOBAB so that issues concerning women and girls at the grassroots level are generally addressed.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Outreach Coordinator, Dr Olawunmi Oni-Buraimoh expressed gratitude that the team was inaugurated while assuring that they will do their best to advocate against unfavourable norms against women and girls in their various communities.
While stating that the story of BAOBAB is a story of resilience, ruggedness, sisterhood, integrity, and focus, she added that society can only be improved if everyone positively changes their micro space. She then added that the newly inaugurated team will be marking important dates of the year as it concerns women and girls, while also leveraging and annexing community partnerships.
