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Summary: On 21 January 2026, Simbiat Bakare, founder of Naija Feminists Media, spoke on GAN’s X Space about how AI, digital technology, and feminist journalism can amplify women’s voices and challenge inequality. She highlighted the importance of data-driven reporting, ethical use of technology, including AI and ensuring women are included in decision-making spaces.
On 21 January 2026, the Global Activists Network (GAN) hosted an X Space conversation exploring how digital technology and feminist journalism can be used to amplify marginalised voices and advance gender equality on a global scale. Titled “Leveraging AI, Technology & Feminist Journalism for Gender Empowerment & Equality,” the conversation featured investigative journalist and feminist advocate Simbiat Bakare, Founder of Naija Feminists Media and was moderated by Gertrude Asumadu, Co-founder of the Global Activists Network.
Gertrude opened the conversation by welcoming participants and introducing GAN as a platform committed to celebrating grassroots activism and driving systemic change. She framed the discussion around the growing intersection of AI, technology, and feminist journalism, and their collective potential to advance gender education, empowerment and equality.
Simbiat Bakare began by reflecting on her early life and the experiences that shaped her journey into feminist journalism. Growing up in a home environment surrounded by strong matriarchal figures, she explained that she was largely unaware of gender inequality in her formative years. Her early interest in storytelling and journalism grew through her close engagement with media, but it wasn’t until she joined Twitter in 2020 that she fully confronted the extent of misogyny and gender-based discrimination in Nigerian society.
She observed how mainstream media twists feminist struggles while amplifying misogynistic voices, a realisation that ultimately led her to establish Naija Feminists Media as a platform for reclaiming women’s narratives and telling their stories truthfully.
She also shared defining moments that solidified her commitment to feminist advocacy, particularly her experience amplifying the voice of a survivor who spoke out about being raped by a celebrity. After supporting the survivor publicly, Simbiat faced intense digital backlash, including death threats and the temporary takedown of her Twitter account. Rather than silencing her, these attacks strengthened her resolve.
As the conversation turned to artificial intelligence and digital innovation, Simbiat Bakare acknowledged that technology presents both risks and possibilities. She spoke about NFM’s participation in the AI Code for Africa project, a three-month training programme focused on developing AI-driven solutions to address women’s issues. She described ongoing efforts to build digital tools that respond to misogynistic narratives, monitor online violations against women and strengthen technology-enabled reporting systems for documenting women’s rights abuses.
A central theme of the conversation was the absence of women, particularly feminist women, in spaces. Simbiat explained how societal conditioning directs women toward care and entertainment roles, leaving innovation and tech development overwhelmingly male-dominated. She noted that representation alone is not enough, and feminist consciousness is essential.
She stressed that feminists must be involved from the design stage of technology, with gender-aware systems in tech companies and clear policies to prevent digital violence.
Simbiat Bakare also shared the importance of grounding feminist journalism in both data and lived experience. She referenced the DOHS Cares Femicide Dashboard, which documented over 200 women killed by men they knew in a single year, as an example of how data exposes systemic patterns such as intimate partner violence. She noted that many datasets remain unreliable or invisible, making sustained research and documentation essential for meaningful change.
On ethics and accountability, the NFM founder warned against over-reliance on artificial intelligence. While recognising AI’s value in shaping and refining ideas, she cautioned against outsourcing human judgment to biased algorithms, stressing that AI should support, rather than replace, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and responsibility in journalism and activism.
She went on to reflect on the tangible impact of Naija Feminists Media, highlighting its work in training hundreds of girls in digital safety and gender equality, mentoring journalists across Africa, supporting women facing online harassment, funding student education, and building feminist media communities.
Addressing the negative perception of feminism in Nigeria, she explained that it is demonised because it challenges entrenched power structures and demands accountability for violence and inequality. She emphasised that women perform equally well when given equal opportunities, pointing to examples across education, politics, and the creative industries.
In her closing reflections, Simbiat Bakare encouraged young changemakers not to shy away from feminism. She urged them to push for gender equality in everything they build and to ensure that women and marginalised groups are included in decision-making spaces. She affirmed that gender equality is central to sustainable development and that all interventions, whether technological, journalistic or political, ultimately intersect with women’s lives.
