Nigeria’s “Interactive Theatre for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment” Receives Recognition from UNAOC-BMW Group’s Intercultural Innovation Hub

The Girl Child Values Support Initiative, a Nigerian organization, has been selected as one of ten grassroots initiatives for the 2026 cycle of the Intercultural Innovation Hub (IIH). A joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group, implemented with the support of Accenture, IIH supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, contributing to peace, cultural diversity, and inclusive societies.

The finalists were announced at a ceremony at the House of BMW in Milan, marking IIH’s 15th anniversary. Since 2011, IIH has brought 100 grassroots organizations into the global spotlight, expanding their capacities, amplifying their impact, and helping them bridge divides, foster mutual understanding and create new opportunities in their communities.

The organization was selected for its project “Interactive Theatre for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”. This participatory theatre initiative uses creative storytelling and community dialogue to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in diverse Nigerian communities, while building intercultural understanding and peaceful coexistence. At its core is Solution-Swap Theatre, a methodology that turns audiences from passive observers into active participants in challenging harmful norms and shaping solutions.

“Through our participatory performances, young girls have found the courage to speak about child marriage, families have reconsidered decisions, and communities have come together across cultural and religious differences to confront harmful norms. With the support of the Intercultural Innovation Hub, we can now scale this work to more communities, train more young women as theatre leaders and use the stage to create even more spaces for intercultural dialogue, understanding and peaceful coexistence,” said Ms. Anna Daniel Wakili, Senior Programmes Officer at The Girl Child Values Support Initiative.

Through the Intercultural Innovation Hub, The Girl Child Values Support Initiative will receive a financial grant, as well as one year of capacity-building and mentorship support from UNAOC, the BMW Group, and Accenture. This comprehensive support will help strengthen “Interactive theatre for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment” and expand its contribution towards a more inclusive society. This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates a more profound impact, as partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each supported project.

Learn more about the project: https://interculturalinnovation.org/interactive-theatre-for-gender-equality-and-women-empowerment-the-girl-child-values-support-initiative/