Etinosa Yvonne

Photographer

www.etinosayvonne.me

Unheard Voices

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In 2019, Hurairah*, 15, refused...herself by learning how to sew.

In 2019, Hurairah*, 15, refused to be forcefully married off by her father who passed on a few months back. With the intervention of her mother who regularly goes to the UNFPA safe space, she was able to persuade her husband not to give her out in marriage. As Hurairah* hopes to be enrolled in school someday soon, she is trying to empower herself by learning how to sew.

Hurairah* and her mother share ...ale in their home in Maiduguri.

Hurairah* and her mother share a laugh while knitting baby accessories for sale in their home in Maiduguri.

Hurairah* carries out some hous...hores in her home in Maiduguri.

Hurairah* carries out some household chores in her home in Maiduguri.

Halima* was married off when sh...in 2019 to a domestic accident.

Halima* was married off when she was 12 years old. At 14 she got pregnant and developed a medical condition called eclampsia. A few months after she gave birth, she was said to be schizophrenic. In 2018, Halima* was raped by a stranger. She got pregnant, gave birth, but lost the child in 2019 to a domestic accident.

Halima* and her sister share a moment as she prepares to go out.

Fara* was a petty trader before...ilable at the UNFPA safe space.

Fara* was a petty trader before her father forcefully married her off. In July 2019, her father called off the marriage on the grounds that she was “stubborn”. As soon as the marriage was over, Fara began empowering herself by enrolling in various vocational training available at the UNFPA safe space.

Fara* works on a cap which she plans to sell to a client.

Fara*, works on her dress in her tent in Maiduguri.

Hamida* was forcefully married ...her neighbors to be empathetic.

Hamida* was forcefully married off when she was 12 years old. In the years that followed, Hamida* was forced out of her marriage. So as to meet her needs and that of her children, Hamida* became a sex worker. When she began living in an IDP camp, she and her kids were often picked on by people, an act which made her suicidal. In December 2019, Hamida* gave birth to her youngest child; thereafter, the insults stopped. Hamida* believes that the sensitization of the IDPs by non governmental organizations in the camp on the dangers of stigmatization, has made her neighbors to be empathetic.

Hamida* plays with her youngest child in their home in Maiduguri.

Hamida* and her eldest child, c...res in their home in Maiduguri.

Hamida* and her eldest child, carry out some household chores in their home in Maiduguri.

Farida*, 28, is a self-employed...ay with her and their children.

Farida*, 28, is a self-employed mother of 4 kids. She was married off at 16 to a man twice her age. Farida* who has been married for 12 years, has had to live through a verbally and physically abusive marriage for 11 years. However, in March 2020, after the Nigerian government announced a six weeks lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, Farida's husband was forced to stay with her and the children for the first time in a long time. During and after the lockdown, he stopped abusing her and has begun making an effort to stay with her and their children.

Farida*, works on a client&...ed a sewing machine from UNFPA.

Farida*, works on a client’s dress in her home in Maiduguri. Farida* is one of several women that has greatly benefitted from UNFPA interventions. A few months into the year 2020, she received a sewing machine from UNFPA.

Zubbaydah* puts her niqab as she prepares to go out.

Zubbaydah* escaped from Boko Ha...ilable at the UNFPA safe space.

Zubbaydah* escaped from Boko Haram captivity in 2015. 5 years after she escaped, Zubbaydah* has begun rebuilding her life by enrolling in various vocational training available at the UNFPA safe space.

H.I was abducted by Boko Haram ...aining at the UNFPA safe space.

H.I was abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in 2015. She managed to escape after 4 years. H.I often gets counselled at the UNFPA safe space and this has helped improve her mental health. She works as a farm labourer and is also enrolled in some of the vocational training at the UNFPA safe space.

Jamila*, 35, plays with her you...ild in their room in Maiduguri.

Jamila*, 35, plays with her youngest child in their room in Maiduguri.

PLAY

STOP

GRID

FULL

LOVE

Thumbnail of In 2019, Hurairah*, 15, refused _ herself by learning how to sew.

Thumbnail of Hurairah* and her mother share a_sale in their home in Maiduguri.

Thumbnail of Hurairah* carries out some house_chores in her home in Maiduguri.

Thumbnail of Halima* was married off when she_ in 2019 to a domestic accident.

Thumbnail of Halima* and her sister share a moment as she prepares to go out.

Thumbnail of Fara* was a petty trader before _ailable at the UNFPA safe space.

Thumbnail of Fara* works on a cap which she plans to sell to a client.

Thumbnail of Fara*, works on her dress in her tent in Maiduguri.

Thumbnail of Hamida* was forcefully married o_ her neighbors to be empathetic.

Thumbnail of Hamida* plays with her youngest child in their home in Maiduguri.

Thumbnail of Hamida* and her eldest child, ca_ores in their home in Maiduguri.

Thumbnail of Farida*, 28, is a self-employed _tay with her and their children.

Thumbnail of Farida*, works on a client&r_ved a sewing machine from UNFPA.

Thumbnail of Zubbaydah* puts her niqab as she prepares to go out.

Thumbnail of Zubbaydah* escaped from Boko Har_ailable at the UNFPA safe space.

Thumbnail of H.I was abducted by Boko Haram i_raining at the UNFPA safe space.

Thumbnail of Jamila*, 35, plays with her youn_hild in their room in Maiduguri.

Public Project

Unheard Voices

Copyright Etinosa Yvonne 2024

Updated Jul 2021

Location Borno

Topics Arts, Editorial, Friends + Family, Multimedia, NGO, Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Spotlight

Unheard Voices

According to the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme, approximately 80 million Nigerian women and girls are victims of gender-based violence (GBV).

For the 2020 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, collaborated with Etinosa Yvonne on a series that highlights the psychological effects of gender based violence.

The collaboration which is an extension of her ongoing project, It's All In My Head, began in 2019. In 2020, Etinosa was redeployed to the field to follow up on the girls and women she had spoken to the previous year.

To learn more about the collaboration, please click here

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Etinosa Yvonne

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