About Us

Royal Women’s Health Initiative is a community-led organization that focuses on the health and Rights of female sex workers RWHRI came to being to support other female sex workers as a result of too much stigma and discrimination surrounding sex work and also the Health of female sex workers. The organization has worked in different capacities in Nigeria with different IPsin Nigeria in the area of Human rights and sex workers ‘health.

The organization has 10 staff and 21 volunteers and is led by Ese Blessing Awhatorhe, a human rights activist with over 10 years of experience advocating for the well-being of Key Populations in Nigeria.

In collaboration with the Heartland Alliance, RWHRI has been a sub-recipient in the IMHIPP project since 2015 for the prevention of HIV /AIDS and GBV, society of Family Health in the New Funding Model Extension 2018/2019 also a sub Recipient in the Global Fund optimizing HIV Investment for impact with Society for family health as the PR and equitable health access initiative (Ehai) as subrecipient 2020/2021. RWHRI is also a sub-recipient in the Apin Icares project with deliverables such as GBV, Human rights education, prep, HTS, and TB RWHARI delivered on all variables.

In 2017 /2018 RWHRI was able to reach 10,000 fsw with HTS peer sessions GBV, and Gender Norms. Over 1000fsw who were positively linked to care. In 2018/2019, 4,832 fsw were reached with peer session GBV, HTS, and 352 fsw linked to care on ART. In 2020/2021 9,000 were reached with the above services and 5302 linked to care. Presently working on the Apin Icares project with 1342 fsw to be reached with the same services above and 95 fsw to be linked to care.

Between 2017- 2021, RWHRI was able to reach 25,174FSW with peer sessions on mental health, SRHR, GBV, and Gender Norms.