BENIN CITY – The Girls Power Initiative (GPI) played a pivotal role in a crucial stakeholders’ consultative workshop and inception meeting held on April 3, 2025, at the ADJ Hotel & Suites, Boundary Road, Benin City.

The event, organized by the Policy Innovation Centre (Lagos) in collaboration with the Edo State Ministry of Health, marked the official launch of the Nigeria Survey on Gender Norms, Attitudes, Health, and Wellbeing in Edo State.

This significant survey is set to be implemented across 14 states in Nigeria, with Edo State being a key focus area. The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organizations, and community leaders, to lay the groundwork for the comprehensive data collection process.

Representing the Girls Power Initiative, Coordinator May Ekido actively participated in the deliberations and contributed valuable insights within key working groups. These groups focused on critical issues impacting the wellbeing of adolescents and women, including:

• Gender-Based Violence (GBV)
• Child and Early Forced Marriage (CEFM)
• Women Economic Empowerment (WEE)

Participants engaged in in-depth discussions, reviewing the underlying behaviors and drivers affecting adolescents aged 10–14. Key areas of focus included:

• The influence of peer group pressure on early sexual activity.
• Cultural factors that contribute to and promote forced marriage.
• Patriarchal norms that create barriers to women’s access to skill-building and mobility.

The collaborative engagement concluded with a strong and unified commitment from all stakeholders to actively support the community-level implementation of the Nigeria Survey on Gender Norms, Attitudes, Health, and Wellbeing across Edo State.

The data collected is expected to provide crucial evidence for the development of targeted interventions and policies aimed at improving the lives and opportunities of girls and women in the region.