Rabi Adamu Musa is Founder/Executive Director, Mcrissar Foundation Nigeria. She is an ardent advocate for young women’s participation in politics and governance. In this interview with ENE OSHABA she speaks on advocacy for free menstrual kits for secondary school girls in northern Nigeria, her experience seeking elected office among others.
What’s your background and how did you get involved in advocacy for young women’s participation in politics?
I was born on May 13, 1985. I am an indigene of Jema’a Local Government Area in Kaduna state. I am a lawyer; I have a degree in Civil Law from the University of Jos, Plateau state.
I have been advocating for young women’s meaningful participation in politics and governance.
I have also been educating girls on the importance of menstrual hygiene and ensuring full access to menstrual kits for girls between the ages of 12-16 in secondary schools in northern Nigeria.
In 2021 I received the Katherine Fleming International Development Award, an award given each year to an African woman who demonstrates commitment to her community, from St Francis Xavier University Antigonish, NS Canada.
I had served as the Special Assistant Legal Matters to the Governor of Kaduna state. In my quest to raise my voice and change the narrative, I contested to be in Kaduna House of Assembly in 2019 and just recently in May 2022.
I am an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and was elected to serve as the legal advisor of NBA Kafanchan Branch in June 2022.
I founded the Taurus Kids Ville, a playground which is the first of its kind in Southern Kaduna. I have a passion for women and children, especially the girl child.
What inspired Mcrissar Foundation and what you do basically?
Mcrissar Foundation is a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) that is focused on women and children with a primary focus on the girl-child. We are committed to four major issues: education; healthcare (Maternal care and menstrual hygiene); entrepreneurship; and leadership development.
Our strategy is to engage adolescent girls before they are influenced by their environment by providing them with all the necessary tools they need to thrive through the creation of awareness, programmes, workshops, professional development training and financial assistance. We are committed to promoting menstrual hygiene among girls in high school ages 12-16 years and in the past three years we have donated sanitary pads to girls in more than 50 schools.
We inspire, educate and mentor girls to learn about their bodies and to take action and become active citizens and assume leadership roles in their schools, families and communities.
You won the Katherine Fleming International Development Award in recognition of your work, what does that mean to you?
Katherine Fleming International Development Award is an award from the prestigious Coady International Institute at St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. The award is granted yearly to two African women leaders who demonstrate exceptional service to their communities. (Katherine (Katie) Fleming graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1985. After completing her studies as a Rhodes Scholar (1985-1987), Family and friends created the Katherine Fleming International Development Award in loving memory of her lifetime dedication to supporting the elimination of child poverty in Africa.
I would say my passion and dedication and perhaps persistence made me a recipient of this prestigious award. I will also like to add consistency. I am very passionate about the work I am doing. When I set a goal, I try my best to achieve it. I am always focused and yes, I will not forget to mention the God factor. I believe he made it possible.
This award will no doubt boast the work that we are doing at Mcrissar Foundation and make the world to hear our story and what we are doing. It will inspire the team to do more. It’s like announcing us to the entire world. I am very excited about it.
We have been working hard to ensure free access to menstrual kits in High Schools and believe me, we are the ones funding almost everything. We have few donors that contribute. Going forward, I will like to expand the work that we are doing and I will also like to encourage individuals and organisations to partner with us in order to make this a reality.
You have contested twice for the Kaduna state House of Assembly, what was the experience like?
Yes, I contested in 2019 and just recently in 2022. It was not a bad experience but as usual, a lot of women were intimidated and it was very tough for most of us. Women need to be more involved in party politics in order to increase our numbers in elective offices.
Educated women need to come on board and get involved, starting from positions in the political party structures. The few women we have at the grassroots are mostly controlled by men, we need to educate women at the grassroots about the power of their voice and why they should support women.
You were Special Assistant, Legal, to the Governor of Kaduna state, what were you able to do for women?
Throughout my tenure as Special Assistant, Legal, to the Executive Governor of Kaduna state, I worked from the Kaduna Geographic Information Service and at some point became the acting legal adviser before the appointment was terminated.
I was part of the team that created the new legal unit at KADGIS and as we speak, we have lawyers working for the agency and we recruited the very best.
I started a campaign for free menstrual kits for girls in secondary school ages 12-16 and I supported some of the women in my community with seed grants to support their businesses.
What inspired the campaign for free menstrual kits?
Lots of different things influenced my decision to start up an NGO, my core reason being the fact that I found (and still find) the inequality and injustices in the world overwhelming.
I just wanted to change the narrative, I just wanted to do something different from what other organisations have been doing and I felt that starting up an NGO seems like a good way to do that.
I grew up in a community where poverty and illiteracy are very prevalent and women are mostly marginalised and only allowed to be seen but not necessarily heard.
While I was growing up, I also had very strong charity role models like my late parents, who will always reach out to people and assist them regardless of their gender or religion. I found that really inspiring and thought starting up something like an NGO will be a great way to change things.
How many girls has your NGO empowered so far?
We have empowered over 5,000 young girls in different communities in Kaduna state and we aim to achieve attitudinal change and transformation for all young girls in Nigeria.
We have an equal opportunity for all children to have access to quality education while also empowering women to become financially independent and educated.
Lastly, we hope that by the year 2030, menstruation will be a normal fact of life for every adolescent girl.
