Girls Resist - West Africa | #GirlsResistWA

Dr. Aissa Bouwaye Ado is a girls’ advocate and a long-term public worker from Niger. She worked in a regional branch of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States – CEDEAO in French) and was head of the National Center for Reproductive Health in Niger.

In this interview, Dr. Aissa talks about her experience: her fight to get an education and against forced marriage. She also shares how her resistance evolved from solitary to collective and her hopes for girls. 

This four-part conversation is part of our Girls Resist – West Africa series, exploring stories of resistance from west African women. 

Trigger Warning: This conversation contains mentions of violence and abuse that may be triggering for readers. Kindly take a moment to decide if you want to keep reading. If you proceed, we encourage you to focus on your well-being and stop reading at any point if you need to. 

Our conversation with Dr. Aissa in 4 parts:

Part 1 : “Unconsciously, I was a girl who did what she wanted”

Part 2 : “People said that I was brazen because I had gone to school”

Part 3 : “I don't like being forced into something, especially if it doesn’t suit me”

Part 4 : “When a girl is alert, educated, and aware, she’ll defend herself”

Explore all the stories in the series here