Former journalist turned social entrepreneur Princess Olufemi-Kayode discusses her work in Nigeria to prevent sexual violence against women and children. She highlights the role of media advocacy in shifting mindsets and engaging stakeholders. Princess shares strategies for raising awareness, including peer education programs and advocacy initiatives in Lagos State. The podcast also explores the transformation of mental models on child sexual abuse, the impact of COVID-19, and the importance of strategic media engagement for social change.
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Quick takeaways
Utilizing media strategically amplifies messages for societal change.
Engaging stakeholders leads to structural policy changes for effective responses.
Empowering children as advocates raises awareness and drives impactful interventions.
Deep dives
Using Media for Advocacy
Utilizing the media as a strategic tool to amplify voices and messages is crucial in influencing societal change. By creating news-worthy content and engaging different media platforms tailored to target stakeholders, impact and awareness can be maximized effectively. Diverse approaches, from traditional media to community-based platforms, can be employed to reach varied audiences and drive the desired message home.
Involving Key Stakeholders
Engaging policymakers, government officials, NGOs, educational institutions, and religious bodies forms a vital part of initiating structural change. Through stakeholder meetings and collaborations, identifying gaps in policies, protocols, and practices is essential to enhance responses and address challenges effectively.
Empowering Children through Education
Empowering children by involving them in advisory boards and educational programs plays a crucial role in creating awareness and fostering interventions. Through structured initiatives such as peer education projects and age-appropriate training, children can become advocates for their rights and contribute to educating their peers, leading to impactful advocacy and awareness within communities.
Measuring Impact and Adapting Strategies
Monitoring shifts in societal mindsets through metrics such as increased reporting and awareness can help gauge the effectiveness of initiatives. Adapting strategies based on ongoing evaluation, particularly in challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, allows for continuous improvement and ensuring sustained progress towards combating issues like child sexual abuse.
Strategic Advocacy and Influencer Engagement
Strategic advocacy involves crafting compelling narratives through a human angle, dynamic storytelling, and engaging influencers to amplify messages and garner attention. By presenting impactful stories, tapping into personal experiences of survivors, and collaborating with influential figures, advocacy efforts can drive meaningful change and cultivate broader public support.
In this episode, we speak with Princess, former journalist turned social entrepreneur, on her groundbreaking work in Nigeria and Africa to prevent and reduce vulnerability and exposure to sexual violence, especially among women and children. Princess shares with us how she strategically set out to raise awareness around this issue, which, until recently, had been frequently swept under the rug. She explains the critical role of journalists and the tactics she used to engage them consistently and effectively to set off a major shift in thinking about how to manage cases of sexual violence. She also highlights the role of children themselves as compelling ambassadors whose voice helped educate other children as well as pressure policymakers.