By Nandak Joy Jos.
Says Trust Must Be Earned, Not Demanded, As preparations heighten for the much-anticipated Gender Summit 2025, the Executive Director and Founder of the Women Rights Initiative (WORI), Dr. Laiatu Augustine Bamaiyi, has raised concerns over disturbing trends within some gender-based advocacy groups, warning that “when trust becomes a tool for extortion, the entire movement suffers.”
Speaking ahead of the Summit, Dr. Bamaiyi noted that certain gender groups have drifted away from their core mission, focusing less on collective progress and more on personal enrichment.
She lamented that despite financial impropriety and lack of accountability, some of these groups still demand legitimacy and recognition from society.
“The irony lies in the fact that these individuals expect to be invited to policy tables and recognized as stakeholders, even when their track record shows clear exploitation of trust,” she said.
According to her, the misuse of trust not only undermines genuine advocacy but also silences authentic voices within the movement.
She warned that when leadership positions are reduced to platforms for siphoning funds, the wider struggle for gender equality is compromised.
“Extortion in the name of gender solidarity harms credibility and makes it difficult for sincere groups to attract support. Worse still, society begins to view every gender-based association with suspicion,”
Dr. Bamaiyi stressed.
Calling for urgent reforms, the WORI founder emphasized that transparency and accountability must become non-negotiable values within gender advocacy. She urged leaders to hold themselves to higher ethical standards while empowering members to demand accountability from within.
“Trust cannot be demanded; it must be earned. Any group that prioritizes profiteering over genuine service will ultimately erode its credibility. The struggle for gender equality deserves better than leaders who see advocacy as nothing more than a profitable enterprise,” she declared.
The Gender Summit 2025, scheduled to bring together stakeholders from across the country, is expected to serve as a platform for honest dialogue, policy recommendations, and a renewed call for integrity in gender advocacy.
