Dorothy Aken 'Ova, Nigeria

Photo by Madeline Djerejian

“What we're doing is new. We want to initiate a dialogue on issues people are uncomfortable talking about. And we want to include marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, gays, adolescents, and sex workers, because the rights of one group are no more important than the rights of another. People are willing to talk about unsafe abortion, maternal mortality rates, HIV/AIDS. But they are less willing to talk about sexual rights and diversity. So, we've had to do some preliminary surveys to legitimize our work. And we found out that, yes, there are same-gender sexual practices going on in Nigeria. And people are aware of it and are willing to talk about it, if you talk about it with them in a responsible manner.”

About Dorothy

A linguist by training, Dorothy Aken ‘Ova has taught at university, been a drug enforcement officer, and worked for the Women's Organization of Nigeria for seven years. Not one to shy away from controversy, Dorothy recently formed the International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights (INCRESE) to confront local and national resistance to sexual and reproductive rights, and the lack of political will to address these issues. Dorothy's particular concerns are the sexual and reproductive health and rights of vulnerable groups, and the urgent need to establish linkages among them. Based in Minna in the Muslim north of Nigeria, INCRESE begins conversations on challenging but publicly acknowledged issues, such as HIV/AIDS. These serve as an entry point for later discussion of topics around which there is silence, such as homosexuality.

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