By Zekeri Idakwo Laruba
In a country where women constantly juggle survival and self-worth, where public safety is a gamble and gender parity remains more theory than practice, Sheroes Rising for Development Initiative is quietly stirring a revolution.
And at the heart of it is Hawwah Gambo—visionary, advocate, and architect of a new kind of conversation. One that dares to put security, emotional intelligence, and gender inclusion in the same sentence.
Hawwah does not speak in clichés. She speaks in lived experience, conviction, and purpose. “We discovered a large gap in cohesion and understanding between the two genders,” she says. “Nobody is talking about bridging that gap.
”But we are—through advocacy, research, storytelling, and now, practical skills training.” This vision gave birth to Sheroes Rising. Not just another NGO ticking gender boxes—but a movement rethinking how men and women co-exist, communicate, and contribute to society.
The organization is challenging entrenched norms and rewriting the script on what it means to be a woman—or a man—shaping their society with empathy, resilience, and voice.
A Training Ground for Safety and Confidence
From April 9–18, 2025, the organization, in collaboration with Vital Voices Global Fellowship Crisis Response, hosted a “Basic Security and Self-Defense Training” in Abuja.
The seven-day boot camp was anything but ordinary. It brought together men and women from all walks of life and armed them with tools for protection, situational awareness, and emotional control.
The idea for the training came from Hawwah’s own exposure to the “Vital Voices Global Leadership Program”. There, she saw firsthand how women in leadership were becoming increasingly vulnerable—not just politically, but physically.
Threats, harassment, and even violence shadow their progress. “But it’s not only women who are at risk,” she says. “We realized that most men also lack basic defense and crisis response skills. This is not just about punching or blocking—it’s about emotional maturity, self-worth, and knowing how to de-escalate conflict.”
The training welcomed men and women alike. Because in Hawwah’s words, “Men and women must coexist. Catalyzing this conversation is beneficial to all.”
A Coach’s Creed: You Are Your First Protection
The session was led by Coach Bright Lee, a personal protection and crisis response specialist with Bright Lee Bishop Consult. His philosophy? That true self-defense begins long before a threat emerges.
“You are your greatest asset,” he tells participants. “Before you can serve any organization, family or community—you must protect your own dignity. That begins with understanding your worth.”
Bright’s approach is a balanced one. Theory meets simulation. Martial arts meets mental agility. His mission is not to raise street fighters—but self-aware individuals who recognize threats early, stay calm under pressure, and choose wisely.
“The best fights,” Bright says, “are the ones you never have to fight.” He also confronts societal myths head-on: “In patriarchal societies, self-defense is treated as a man’s domain. But it is for everyone. Women may be seen as the only targets—but men are often caught off-guard too. Vulnerability has no gender.”
Step-Down Model: From Learners to Multipliers
But Sheroes Rising is not just organizing events. It is building a movement of multipliers. That is why the training was designed as a Step-Down Model—a strategy that encourages participants to take what they have learned and cascade it to others in their circles.
“The essence of knowledge is for it to be shared,” Hawwah says. “If you are learning but not teaching, then what really are you doing? This must be transformative—not just for individuals, but for families, schools, communities.”
The organization is sowing seeds that will sprout across towns and tribes. With each empowered participant comes a ripple of awareness—and, hopefully, a wave of safer, more emotionally intelligent communities.
A Broader Vision, A Bolder Mission
Sheroes Rising is fueled by more than courage. It is anchored in a dream—a world without discrimination and exclusion, where women do not have to earn their right to safety, and men are not burdened by the myths of toxic strength.
It is on a mission to amplify women’s voices and catalyze empowerment for national and social development. And that mission is being quietly, deliberately fulfilled—through research, storytelling, practical training, and institutional partnerships.
Though currently privately funded, Sheroes Rising is calling on local and global partners to walk this journey. The success of its inaugural self-defense program is just a taste of what is possible.
Plans are underway to expand outreach to more young Nigerians—especially the under-40 generation, which forms over 75% of the population, yet remains largely disillusioned about its role in national development.
Answering a Bigger Question
Hawwah is not trying to change the world in one leap. But she is not sitting back, either. “We may not solve all of Nigeria’s problems,” she admits. “But we will not be silent. We will not be passive. We will do our part. One life skill, one voice, one step at a time.”
In a nation teetering between instability and possibility, Sheroes Rising is standing firm—equipping the vulnerable, educating the bold, and reminding every Nigerian that dignity and safety are not luxuries, but rights.
Zekeri Idakwo Laruba is the Assistant Editor with PRNigeria and Economic confidential:
He can be reached via: idakwozekeri93@gmail.com
