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Summary
Naija Feminists Media trained staff of The Girls Pride Initiative for Sustainable Development on digital safety and responsible social media use as part of International Youth Day activities. The workshop equipped participants to educate teenagers on the benefits, risks, and safe practices of navigating online spaces.
As part of activities marking International Youth Day, Naija Feminists Media trained staff of The Girls Pride Initiatives for Sustainable Development (TGPI) in a Train-the-Trainer Capacity Building Workshop tagged “Click Safe: Empowering Youth for a Digitally Secure Future.”
The workshop, held on August 25, 2025, in a virtual engagement was facilitated by the founding director of Naija Feminists Media, Simbiat Bakare. The training is designed to extend knowledge of digital safety and media literacy to teenagers in Ondo and Akure.
It focused on equipping educators with essential skills to educate teenagers on digital safety, cyberbullying, privacy, and responsible use of social media.
Simbiat introduced participants to the concept of social media, describing it as “online platforms where people share information and connect with others through text, photos, videos, and other content.” She highlighted popular platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Discord, WeChat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
The training also explored the benefits of social media, and allowed participants to share their personal experiences using social media. They shared how online spaces have shaped their lives positively while also reflecting on the challenges they face, such as cyberbullying, sextortion and exposure to harmful content.
The initiative forms part of a broader school-based sensitisation campaign aimed at helping teenagers navigate the digital world safely and responsibly.
The session further featured discussions on the dangers of social media to girls, including cyberbullying, body image issues, menstrual shaming, the normalisation of risky behaviours, gender stereotypes, and even sexual violence facilitated by technology misuse.
She encouraged participants to promote safe practices such as using strong passwords, keeping personal information private, thinking critically about online content, and reporting harassment. She further encouraged trainers to be mindful not to engage in gender discrimination during the training.
She urged them to ensure equal active participation in both boys and girls, reward them equally for participation, plan ahead, and avoid examples that are rooted in gender stereotypes.
By training educators, Naija Feminists Media aim to extend digital safety education to schools and communities, empowering girls to use social media smartly for mentorship, education, and personal growth.
