Episode #80 with R. Evon Benson-Idahosa

The Swinging Palm Trees Podcast

Trigger Warning: this episode addresses issues involving sex trafficking and trauma.
In this episode, I chat with Evon Benson-Idahosa, a leading expert and thought leader on the subjects of modern day slavery and gender based violence in sub-Saharan Africa. Evon talks about why she started the NGO and her campaign to stamp out sex trafficking not only in Nigeria, but also globally. We also talk about religion and hypocrisy in Nigeria, certain traditional practices that need to end the importance of education and dialogue in ending slavery and gender based violence. Evon also shares how important her faith is to her, being mindful of self-care, her parents, and of course, she shares the saying that continually inspires her.
R. Evon Benson-Idahosa is a Nigerian native, a thought leader and leading expert on the intersection of the economic empowerment of African women and gender based violence in sub-Saharan Africa. She is also a trained English Barrister and American lawyer who lends her expertise as a strategist and advisor/consultant to organizations as well as state, national and international governments.
In her role as an innovative facilitator/trainer, she has organized multiple high level stakeholders’ national and international conferences/roundtables, including Nigeria’s first ever Gap Analysis on human trafficking and unsafe migration, trains Parliamentarians and serves as a legislative drafter. Via her non-profit, Pathfinders Justice Initiative, her work has culminated in the production of Nigeria's first national Guidelines for rehabilitation service providers and law enforcement officers,
judges and prosecutors on human trafficking, www.hersafrica.com, the continent’s first one stop online hub of resources for survivors and Edo State’s Coordinated Care Mechanism (CCM), the state’s first referral mechanism for local service providers.
Under her leadership, Pathfinders has provided holistic PATH (Personalized Action to Healing) Plans for over 2,700 survivors, maintains a thriving shelter, has conducted ground-breaking research on recruiters of sex trafficking in Nigeria and engages in outreaches that reach millions of people daily.
As an activist, published writer, researcher and speaker, Ms. Benson-Idahosa’s work has been featured on multiple national and international radio and television news outlets and she has been named one of New York’s New Abolitionists. She is also the recipient of multiple fellowships/awards and has been nationally and internationally recognized for her efforts in creating access to economic empowerment for African women and for seeking an end to gender based violence.
For more information, please visit www.pathfindersji.org or email
[e-mail].

Thanks for listening to the episode. I'd like to thank my guest for their time, insight and being a great sport!
I would also like to thank my producer, Ashanti Omkar, for all her hard work.
If you'd like to be a guest, drop me a line at [e-mail].
Keep Rising & Thriving. Aṣẹ!