Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central,
on Saturday hosted young women from across Nigeria in a mentorship and
interactive session to commemorate the 2025 International Day of the Girl
Child.
The event, themed ‘An Evening with Senator Natasha’, drew
from the global theme: ‘The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the
Frontlines of Crisis.’
It provided an intimate space for open conversation,
reflection, and empowerment, where over 50 young women shared experiences and
drew lessons from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s personal and political journey.
Addressing the audience, Akpoti-Uduaghan said self-discovery
remains the foundation of leadership and meaningful change.
“It’s important to identify the girl that I am,” the
lawmaker said.
“Many of us, especially girls, grow up without ever taking
the time to understand or connect with who we truly are.
“Society defines and shapes us from childhood, and we’re
rarely given the chance to think for ourselves. Before you figure out your
career, your drive, or the change you want to make, you must first know who you
are.”
She urged young women to reject societal expectations that
silence their voices and limit their ambitions.
“Women have been raised to take the shame, wear the blame,
and zip their mouths shut,” she said.
“But that ends with us. We must find the courage to be bold,
audacious, and fearless, to break barriers and climb higher mountains.”
The senator said she would not feel fulfilled until she sees
the impact of her work in transforming lives and communities that once lived in
deprivation.
The event also featured guest speakers who shared stories of
resilience, leadership, and triumph over adversity.
One of them, Yakubu Oyiza Hope, an anti-human trafficking
advocate, shared how her search for a better life led her through abduction,
banditry, and violence before she overcame the odds to become a voice for
victims of trafficking.
October 11 was adopted as the ‘International Day of the Girl
Child’ by the United Nations in December 2011 to celebrate the power of girls
and highlight the barriers they face.
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