Hauwa Ojeifo
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Hauwa Ojeifo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nigeria |
| Citizenship | Nigerian |
| Occupations | Mental health advocate, Speaker |
| Organization | She Writes Woman |
| Known for | Founder of She Writes Woman; mental health advocacy in Nigeria |
| Title | Founder and Executive Director, She Writes Woman |
| Awards | Queen's Young Leader Award (2018) |
Hauwa Ojeifo (born 1992) popularly known as "The Voice of Mental Health"[1] is a Nigerian sexual violence and mental health activist. She is the first person in Nigeria with a mental health condition to speak out in the Nigerian parliament about mental health rights and the first Nigerian female to have received a Queen's Young Leader Award for her work.[1][2][3] She is the founder of She Writes Woman, a nonprofit organization working to give mental health a voice in Nigeria.[4]
Ojeifo attended the University of Reading in England where she acquired a Master of Science degree in Investment Banking and Islamic Finance.[2]
Career
Hauwa Ojeifo struggled with mood swings and trauma from sexual and emotional abuse, which affected her life after she was raped at the age of 21.[5][6] In February 2016, doctors diagnosed her with bipolar and post traumatic stress disorder with mild psychosis, and she attempted suicide. She sought help from a psychiatrist and started a blog to share her story and help others. She also founded She Writes Woman.[7] Through her foundation, she provides support to sexual abuse victims and people in West Africa who need mental health care.[8][9]
In February 2020, Hauwa Ojeifo made history by being the first person with a mental health condition to speak before the National Assembly Committee on Health, helping to push for a mental health bill.[10]
