Girls Power Initiative

Twenty percent of adolescent girls in Nigeria begin having sex before age 15 compared with 7% of their male counterparts. Due to this disparity, girls and very young women are at increased risk of exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Girls Power Initiative (GPI) equips girls between the ages of 10 and 18 with information about their human rights and comprehensive sexual health education while enabling them to develop concrete skills in self-awareness, communication, negotiation, and leadership.

EMpower’s third grant supports a portion of GPI operational costs and three core programs: comprehensive sexuality education for in school girls; an enterprise program for in-school girls to learn about different paths to generate income, including in sectors – such as mechanics and electricity — that are typically reserved for boys and young men; and a vocational training program in sewing and sandalmaking for out of school girls to earn an income.