Favour Abatang, is a girls’ and women’s rights activist from Cross River State. A graduate of Philosophy from the University of Calabar, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Her Voice Foundation, a non-profit organisation focused on empowering teenage mothers and at-risk girls across Nigeria.
Her passion for advocacy began at a young age, shaped by personal loss and the harsh realities faced by girls in marginalised communities. ‘After losing my mother at the age of ten, I saw first-hand the struggles of girls from disadvantaged families.
‘That experience shaped my determination to ensure they are not denied opportunities simply because of where they were born or what they went through.’
In 2020, she founded Her Voice Foundation, formerly known as Campus Babe Initiative, to provide second-chance education, livelihood support, and advocacy for girls pushed to the margins of society. ‘We focus on breaking barriers to girls’ education and ending harmful practices such as child marriage, money marriage, and all forms of gender-based violence,’ she told Daily Trust. The foundation works in rural and underserved areas, particularly in southern Nigeria, where support systems are weak or non-existent. ‘Five years ago, I saw a 12-year-old girl pregnant and married off early. That moment changed everything for me,’ she recalled. ‘In Nigeria, 44 per cent of girls are married before their 18th birthday, and in some rural areas, that number rises to nearly 60 per cent.’
Since its existence, Her Voice Foundation has reached over 7,500 girls across 12 communities, offering literacy, life skills, vocational training, and psychosocial support. ‘These girls are not just statistics. They are dreams waiting to be realised.’ She said.
The foundation not just supporting girls also runs campaigns to challenge harmful cultural practices. In 2023, with support from UN Women under the Spotlight Initiative, it led a campaign in Becheve, Cross River State, to combat the resurgence of money marriage. ‘We mobilised 1,000 men as allies and engaged 200 traditional rulers who pledged to abandon the practice,’ she said. ‘Our policy brief became an advocacy tool, resulting in policy dialogue and survivor assistance.’
Meeting with teenage pregnant girls
Her Voice Foundation’s Second-Chance Education Programme enrolled 500 learners and equipped 2,000 girls with tools for financial autonomy. A radio show hosted by the foundation reached two million people online, while 1,500 community members pledged to promote girls’ education.
On how beneficiaries are selected, Favour said the foundation prioritises girls in fragile situations. ‘We meet each girl where she is, listening to her story and assessing what kind of support she needs most,’ she explained. ‘What matters most is not just vulnerability, but the willingness of the girl to take a step forward, however small, toward her second chance.’
Funding for the foundation comes from a mix of international partners, local organisations, and individual donors. Notable supporters include UN Women, Inspiring Girls, IGNITE, and Project Nightfall Philanthropy. ‘We continue to build partnerships, recognising that long-term impact requires broad collaboration and diverse sources of support,’ she said.
On running the foundation, sFavour said, has been both challenging and rewarding. ‘We have a team of over 60 people, mostly volunteers,’ she said. ‘It has taught me to first lead myself, to believe in the importance of what we are doing, and then to lead others with vision and purpose.’
She added that coordination goes beyond the office. ‘It’s about making sure our team is in sync with community leaders, schools, the government, other development partners, and most importantly, the girls themselves.’
Favour’s work has earned her international recognition. In 2023, she received the Princess Diana Award for social action and humanitarian work. In 2025, she was named one of the 100 Reputable Women of African Descent. Since 2022, she has served as a National Gender Youth Activist with UN Women and delivered a TEDx Talk titled ‘The Power of a Second Chance.’
She said her vision is to grow Her Voice Foundation into a global institution for girls’ second chances. ‘I envision skill hubs, technology centres, and women-run factories that generate income while providing livelihoods. ‘I want us to shape policy and advocacy at national and international levels to end child marriage and harmful practices for good.’
Favour believes sustainability is key. ‘We design programmes to be community-owned and low-cost where possible,’ she said. ‘We also focus on leadership pipelines, training young women, including survivors, to take on leadership roles.’
Despite the challenges, she remains undeterred. ‘Society won’t stop talking,’ she said. ‘No matter what you do, people will talk. So, I just work and do what I know is right.’
Her motivation, she said, comes from the girls themselves. ‘Watching how small moments add up to big impact keeps me going. Every meeting, every plan, every small win feeds into the larger vision of changing lives for the better.
‘My motivation also comes from the belief that every second chance given to a teenage mother or a marginalised girl can be her lifeline, her best chance, or even the very thing that propels her toward a sustainable future. I am motivated by the girls themselves. I think of girls like Mary, a survivor of money marriage, who, through the support she received, now runs a profitable business. This income allows her to send both herself and her child to school. Knowing that every girl who receives our intervention goes on to impact her child and her community fills me with purpose. That ripple effect, the multiplication of impact and sustainability through our interventions, is what drives me every day.
‘To any young person eager to take action, I would say: start. But don’t just start, start with the right knowledge, systems, and structure. Build a non-profit that is not centered on you, but on the people you serve. Create an institution that empowers others, gives young people the chance to lead and become changemakers themselves, and always vouch for yourself.
‘Again, personal experience in my community. I saw a girl who was pregnant at just 12 years old, and she was not alone; there were many others like her. This pushed me to look deeper into the statistics, where I discovered that teenage pregnancy and child marriage are among the greatest barriers to girls’ retention and completion of school, severely affecting their education. I was moved to act, both to give second chances to girls already in these fragile situations and to work towards breaking the barriers that hold them back. That is why I founded Her Voice Foundation.’
She urged other young people to take action. ‘If you want to start anything that will help others, you should do it now. Because no one is going to do it if you don’t start.’