Olaoluwa Abagun

Olaoluwa Abagun
Born	1992 Lagos, Nigeria
Alma mater	Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Sussex
Occupation(s)	Attorney, feminist activist
Known for	Advocacy for girls' rights, founder of Girl Pride Circle Initiative, Executive Director at ATHENA

Olaoluwa Abagun is a Nigerian attorney, feminist, and outspoken advocate for girls' rights with a focus on empowering young African females. She established the Girl Pride Circle Initiative, a leading NGO in Nigeria, and holds the position of Executive Director at ATHENA, an international feminist organization dedicated to advancing gender equality and human rights.

Early life and education

Born in Lagos, Abagun completed her secondary education at Queen's College, Lagos in 2008, where she was honored with the "Outstanding Service to College Life Award" while serving as Deputy Head-Girl. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and later earned a Master of Arts in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. She practices Christianity.

Growing up in a household with diverse religious backgrounds—her father being Muslim and her mother Christian—she is the sole daughter among four children. Her parents raised her without gender-based distinctions, shaping her feminist perspective. Her commitment to human rights was sparked at age 13 upon learning about the child rights act. At 15, she was recognized by then-Governor Babatunde Fashola and his cabinet, who gifted her a computer, an encouragement that significantly influenced her advocacy for women's rights.

Activism

Prior to completing her law degree in 2015, Abagun contributed writings on women's issues and was a finalist in the 2014 "Africa Youth Day Essay Competition" with her piece titled Policies on the Empowerment of Young Women in Africa: The Missing Piece in the African Jigsaw. She is also the founder of "Girl Pride Circle," an organization dedicated to promoting women's rights within Nigeria.

In March 2016, she launched the Safe Kicks Initiative: Adolescent Girls Against Sexual Violence at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. This program provides self-defense training through martial arts to survivors and women at risk. By July 2016, she had trained more than 250 teenage girls and became the sole Nigerian recipient of a financial grant from Women Deliver. Additionally, Abagun spoke on gender-related topics during the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In July 2017, she was selected as one of six Nigerians invited to engage with UK parliamentarians on Fast Forward: Preparing the World to Come, addressing gender equality and promoting political engagement among Nigerian women through advocacy for improved welfare, education, and policy reforms.

Abagun describes feminism as advocating for equal socio-economic opportunities irrespective of gender, clarifying that it is not a conflict between men and women. In January 2018, she encouraged Nigerian women to participate more actively in politics ahead of the 2019 general elections.

After being awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship in 2019, she contributed significantly to Girl Pride Circle's development and execution of the 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Violence in Religious Communities' project. This initiative supports religious leaders in Lagos State to implement the National Gender Policy effectively and fight against sexual violence.