Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has criticised societal conditioning that teaches women to endure shame and remain silent instead of speaking up against injustice or asserting their value.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday during a mentorship and interactive session marking the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, the Kogi Central lawmaker urged Nigerians to challenge cultural norms that encourage women to accept blame and suppress their voices.
“It’s important to identify the girl that I am. Many of us, especially girls, grow up without ever taking the time to understand or connect with who we truly are,” she said.
“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.”
Decrying the deep-rooted expectations that restrict women’s ambitions, Akpoti-Uduaghan added:
“Women have been raised to take the shame, wear the blame, and zip their mouths shut. But that ends with us. We must find the courage to be bold, audacious, and fearless—to break barriers and climb higher mountains.”
The event, tagged “An Evening with Senator Natasha” and themed after the global campaign “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” brought together more than 50 young women from across Nigeria for open discussions on self-discovery, leadership, and empowerment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan noted that her mission goes beyond politics, saying she would not feel fulfilled until her work brings tangible transformation to long-neglected communities.
Among the guest speakers was anti-human trafficking advocate Yakubu Oyiza Hope, who shared her personal story of surviving abduction and banditry before becoming a voice for victims.
Participants described the evening as “eye-opening and transformative,” and called on the senator to establish a formal mentorship programme to sustain the initiative’s impact.
The session, attended by journalists and media personalities, ended with renewed calls for women to embrace courage, self-awareness, and leadership in challenging societal stereotypes.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recently returned to the Senate on October 7, following a six-month suspension that drew nationwide debate on gender equity and legislative authority.
Her suspension, imposed on March 6, 2025, followed her protest over the removal of her nameplate and reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio—an act she described as an attempt to silence her.
During the suspension, her salary, security, and allowances were withheld, and she was denied access to her office and all parliamentary activities.
After a Federal High Court ruled the suspension unconstitutional, the Senate initially resisted implementing the judgment.
However, her office was finally reopened in late September, and she officially resumed legislative duties when plenary reconvened after a 10-week recess.
