By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia
At the recently concluded 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) held at the United Nations Headquarters, Nigerian advocate, media entrepreneur, and founder of Wivesroundtable, Amaka Chibuzo-Obi, joined other advocates pushing for practical solutions to gender-based violence (GBV) through economic empowerment.
Delivering a paper at the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria side event Chibuzo-Obi presented a three-pronged empowerment strategy that she described as “urgent and critical” to the prevention of GBV. The session was one of several high-level engagements that drew government agencies, civil society groups, and global NGOs together to deliberate on CSW69’s priority theme: Accelerating gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.
Chibuzo-Obi’s presentation emphasised that “true financial empowerment must move beyond token handouts and delve into equipping women with 21st-century skills, mental resilience, and accessible financial services.” According to her, giving women education-based and digital skills makes them more financially independent and less vulnerable to economic abuse. She also stressed the need for psychosocial support and trauma counseling to rebuild women’s self-worth and ignite their drive to thrive. Lastly, she advocated for financial literacy programs and inclusive banking systems tailored to the needs of vulnerable women.
Known for her decades-long work in women’s advocacy through her platform Wivesroundtable, a syndicated radio and television talk show, Chibuzo-Obi also runs The Wivesroundtable Foundation, which empowers low-income women with digital skills and psychosocial support. Her latest initiative, HERSTORY, is a groundbreaking documentary film series that tells the true-life stories of Nigerian women who have survived domestic violence and are rebuilding their lives. The project blends storytelling with activism to inspire societal change and galvanize support for survivors.
As the session ended with a strong call to action for gender-responsive financing and institutional strengthening, voices like Amaka Chibuzo-Obi’s are driving fresh conversations on sustainable empowerment models and localizing global commitments
