Mairo Bello, Nigeria

Photo by Madeline Djerejian

“The journey to women's health is not straightforward, and can be difficult for advocates, program planners, and beneficiaries alike. Women's rights are too often negotiated away or compromised in favor of other political considerations at the United Nations. Locally, policies and programs benefiting women are frequently the first to be cut when the economy falters. The journey to good health for women also faces greatly increased opposition from individuals, groups, and governments that seek to impose their ideologies across the globe. These ideologies include the restriction of girls' and women's rights, opportunities, and freedoms. Young people must be equipped with the skills they need to resist ideologies that are detrimental to their health and destiny. We must ensure that girls and women can exercise their human rights, including their right to make informed and healthful choices about their sexuality and reproduction, without fear of violence or coercion."

About Mairo

Mairo Bello is a pioneer in adolescent reproductive health, and a mentor to other colleagues in northern Nigeria. She is the founding director of the Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP), located in Kano, Nigeria, which provides information, education, and counseling on sexuality and reproductive health to thousands of young people. The group's vocational training programs provide girls with not only practical, income-earning skills but also lessons in decision-making, leadership, health management, and assertiveness. AHIP's research and advocacy activities promote the reproductive health and rights of adolescents in a region where such issues are not readily discussed. Mairo has a long history of involvement in the women's movement, nationally and internationally. In Nigeria, she has been active in the labor movement, Women in Nigeria, and WISSEA, a coalition of Muslim women from the northern region of the country. She was a strong voice for women's and girls' sexual and reproductive rights at both the International Conference on Population and Development and the Fourth World Conference on Women.

>>More profiles