By Osaigbovo Iguobaro
At 78, Mrs. Onaiwu Osatohanmwen thought she understood the traditions of her community and the responsibilities that came with being a mother, grandmother and elder.
But after sitting through sessions on gender-based violence, women’s rights and harmful cultural practices, the septuagenarian from Avbiama community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State discovered that some practices she had regarded as normal could have serious legal and social consequences.
One lesson, in particular, shocked her.
Female genital mutilation, she learnt, is a crime.
Osatohanmwen recalled that about three years ago, when her daughter gave birth to a baby girl, she participated in the circumcision of the child, unaware of the legal implications surrounding the practice.
Today, she speaks differently.
“I have learnt a lot from this reproductive health programme and I’m very happy to be part of it because before now I did not know the dos and don’ts in terms of gender-based violence,” she said.
“It has really equipped and enhanced my knowledge.”
For Osatohanmwen, the training has transformed her from a participant into a potential messenger of change.
She now intends to return to Avbiama and warn families about the dangers and legal consequences of female genital mutilation.
“Now that I’m aware of the law, I will be the one telling my children and everyone around me that female genital mutilation is a crime,” she said.
Her story captures the broader ambition of the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), which, with support from the South Saharan Social Development Organization (SSDO), has embarked on a community-based campaign to strengthen the fight against violence against women and girls in Edo State.
Turning community members into guardians
From September 22 to 23, 2026, community representatives from Avbiama, Evboligun, Obah, Umelu and Ihrinwin Communities are participating in a four-day training and inauguration programme designed to build a network of local champions against violence.
The initiative is being implemented under the 15-month Sisters Guardian Initiative, which seeks to confront violence against women and girls, harmful cultural practices and social norms that contribute to inequality and violence within communities.
Rather than placing the responsibility entirely on government agencies, civil society organisations or law enforcement authorities, WRAHP is taking the message directly into communities.
The idea is simple: those who live within communities are often closest to the problems—and can therefore become part of the solution.
The newly inaugurated Sister Guardian Executives are expected to serve as community-based champions, helping to create awareness, facilitate dialogue, support prevention activities, make appropriate referrals and encourage collective action on issues affecting women and girls.
Their training covers gender-based violence, harmful cultural practices, gender norms, safeguarding, community mobilisation, referral pathways and survivor-centred approaches.
“We are not properties”
For Mrs. Promise Uduak Alile of Obah community, the fight against violence against women may begin in a training hall, but its real battle is fought in homes and communities.
According to her, the lessons from the programme have given her a new responsibility—to take the message of women’s rights to those who were not in the room.
She said the training has challenged women to reconsider the silence that often surrounds domestic violence, adding that one of her major lessons was that marriage does not erase a woman’s rights.
“Sometimes, we see husbands beating their wives, and the women just remain there without taking action,” Alile said.
“We are not properties. Even though we are married to our husbands, we still have rights, and we should be able to stand our ground and defend those rights.”
For her, the training is not merely about acquiring knowledge but about transferring it.
On returning to Obah, she plans to work with other participants to reach women who were unable to attend the programme.
“We will let them know about what we have learned and encourage them to understand that, as women, they must stand up to protect their rights,” she said.
She also plans to speak against female genital mutilation, which she described as a harmful practice that should no longer be encouraged.
Breaking the culture of silence
Mrs. Domina Agbonyinma, another participant, said the training had helped women discover a voice they did not always know they possessed.
“For these past two days, I’ve been able to learn that women have a voice,” she said.
According to her, some practices that women had previously tolerated were being exposed during the programme as unacceptable and punishable under the law.
Her message to women in her community is direct: speak out.
Agbonyinma said she would take the knowledge acquired from the programme back to fellow women and encourage those experiencing abuse or other unlawful practices to seek help.
“We as women are here to help each other as sisters,” she said, stressing the need for women to support one another when confronted with situations that violate their rights.
She also said participants had learnt that there were reliable sources where women could obtain assistance, counselling and referrals.
From training room to community
For WRAHP Team Lead and Executive Director, Mrs. Bose Agbonmerele Ironsi, the real measure of the programme will be what happens after participants return home.
She said sustainable change could only be achieved when communities take ownership of interventions designed to address challenges affecting them.
“The Sisters Guardian Initiative is rooted in the belief that sustainable change must be owned and driven by the communities themselves,” Ironsi said.
She explained that the initiative was designed to strengthen existing community structures and empower local actors to champion prevention, promote dialogue, support appropriate referrals and contribute to creating safer environments for women and girls.
That approach places a significant responsibility on the Sister Guardian Executives.
They are not expected merely to attend meetings or receive certificates. Their mandate begins when they return to their communities.
They will have to translate lessons about rights, violence, harmful practices and referral mechanisms into conversations with families, women, young people, traditional actors and other community stakeholders.
Knowledge as the first line of protection
The experiences of the women participating in the programme reveal one of the less visible dimensions of violence against women: lack of information.
For Osatohanmwen, knowledge of the law came after years of accepting a cultural practice without understanding its legal implications.
For Alile, the training reinforced the principle that women do not surrender their rights when they enter marriage.
For Agbonyinma, the sessions provided language and confidence to challenge practices that women had previously endured in silence.
Their experiences suggest that community intervention is not only about responding after violence has occurred. It is also about ensuring that women and families understand their rights, recognise harmful practices and know where to seek help.
Building a network of Sister Guardians
WRAHP says the programme is intended to establish a shared understanding among community representatives and stakeholders while laying the foundation for coordinated action throughout the 15-month implementation period.
The organisation also plans to work with communities and stakeholders to promote community ownership, evidence-based programming and locally informed approaches to preventing and responding to violence against women and girls.
The broader goal is to build stronger community structures around prevention, protection, accountability and collective action.
For women like Osatohanmwen, the transformation has already begun.
At 78, she is preparing to return to her community not simply as an elder, but as a messenger carrying a new understanding of women’s rights and the consequences of harmful practices.
Her determination illustrates the potential of the Sisters Guardian Initiative: turn knowledge into action, turn survivors and witnesses into voices, and turn communities from silent observers into active participants in protecting women and girls.
The challenge now is whether the lessons learnt inside the training room can travel beyond its walls—t
o homes, families, neighbourhoods and community gatherings.
That is where the real test of the Sister Guardians begins.
