Natasha Says Women Raised To Accept Shame Must Unlearn Silence

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has criticised what she described as a harmful cultural mindset that conditions women to endure shame and remain silent instead of speaking up for themselves.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday at a mentorship session to mark the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child, the Kogi Central senator urged young women to break free from social expectations that suppress their voices.

“Women have been raised to take the shame, wear the blame, and zip their mouths shut,” she said. “But that ends with us. We must find the courage to be bold, audacious, and fearless, to break barriers and climb higher mountains.”

She told participants that true empowerment begins with self-awareness. “Before you figure out your career or the change you want to make, you must first know who you are,” she said.

The event, titled An Evening with Senator Natasha and themed The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis, gathered over 50 young women from across Nigeria for open discussions on identity, confidence, and leadership.

Among the speakers was anti-human trafficking advocate Yakubu Oyiza Hope, who recounted surviving abduction and banditry before becoming a campaigner for victims of violence.

Participants described the session as inspiring and called on Akpoti-Uduaghan to create a formal mentorship platform to continue the initiative.

The senator, who recently returned to the Senate after a six-month suspension, said her mission extends beyond politics and is rooted in transforming deprived communities and empowering women to challenge social limits.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6, 2025, after protesting the removal of her seat nameplate, which she called an attempt to silence her. A court later declared the suspension unconstitutional, leading to her reinstatement on October 7.