by Priscilla Taiwo Today, November 25th, is the start of 16 days of activism against *gender-based violence (GBV) internationally. GBV has existed for as long as society has existed, and it is deeply entrenched in some so-called cultural beliefs and values. These discriminatory practices contribute to gender inequity**, particularly in favour of men and boys. But this is not to say that men are not also victims of GBV. Gender-based...
Continue reading...In Our Own Voices
Do you know any African male feminists? Here’s one
I’ve been waiting for a chance to write this piece for many years now. Today, the opportunity presents itself, in a rather weird way. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, our university has not been able to safely organise our graduation ceremonies…yet! Having completed PhD study in the middle of the pandemic however, some former students like myself feel that we have not had closure from our years of hard work....
Continue reading...In search of an Esan girl
by Elect Alenkhe It was a seemingly ordinary Thursday afternoon, only that it seemed the Sun was bent on showing off her strength with no pity for the people underneath her. A girl sat, relaxing under the shade that one or two trees provided her somewhere on campus, precisely at the Faculty of Arts’ car park of the University of Benin in Nigeria. And as she sat quietly, enjoying her...
Continue reading...“The Complete Woman” writing contest
Throughout the month of October 2021, AFFIRM is running a writing contest on the topic of “The Complete Woman”. Priscilla Taiwo writes more about it here: The woman that is in control of her life. The woman who has been told to shut up because of her gender, yet she speaks even louder because she is beyond a sexual being. The woman who no one believes, yet she believes in...
Continue reading...Safe Haven
by Nathalie Ukwu It was a regular night at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). As I placed my textbooks in my navy blue and grey bag that was handed down to me from Mama, I remembered an old ‘Ghana-must-go‘ bag in Lagos full of my textbooks from secondary school and wondered if, after my campus years, I would also store these away in a similar way, never to be...
Continue reading...What makes us stand out as women
by Priscilla Taiwo Attention ladies! There are several misconceptions about being female, whether you’re a teenager, a young adult or middle aged. Here in Africa, there are designated roles perceived for women alone – some consistently debated over the years. As some of these things try to depict morals and values in the society, they have somehow influenced the mentality we have. Let us briefly note key female figures in...
Continue reading...An African Feminist Framework project
I am super thrilled to announce that I have been awarded a prestigious ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) Postdoctoral* Fellowship for my impact project: “Towards an African feminist framework for students’ welfare in Nigerian Higher Education”. The application process was highly competitive and I was informed that there were 28 applications received for only 7 fellowship places. Postdoctoral [adj.] – relating to advanced work or study that someone does...
Continue reading...Research Participants Wanted
Do you live in Enugu, Nigeria? Do you identify as an innovative young entrepreneur*? Are you female and between 18-35 years of age? Entrepreneur: Someone who has just started or is interested in creating a new venture I am looking for 2 female young entrepreneurs that live/work in Enugu, to participate in a short, paid, international research project. Your venture could be creative, social, sustainable, financial or political. To nominate...
Continue reading...My Experience during the Covid-19 pandemic
by Jackline Okello Here is what kept me going when I looked at the situation around me – I think of life as an adventure, like a roller coaster because it brings you ups and downs. This is because things really took a different direction in a span of months. Being a student and a self-employed person, I did not have an easy time as I came to terms with...
Continue reading...Resilience
Yesterday, the AFFIRM page on Facebook pulled up some memories from the 2019 Sprint postgraduate women’s development programme that I facilitated at the University of Exeter, UK. Oh, what a wonderful programme it was! I particularly love this drawing by one of the groups at the programme, to represent their own lived experiences. It shows a woman with her hands carrying so many responsibilities and expectations including relationships, work, children,...
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