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This week, women’s lives were once again caught between the things they are expected to endure and spaces they are determined to take up. Aunty Esther’s death has resurfaced after the Jehovah’s Witnesses changed part of their position on blood components, the women confronting sexism and harassment in public and digital spaces and the women putting themselves forward for Nigeria’s highest political office. We also covered new contraceptive options for women and girls, the fight for safe abortion, feminist journalism and digital safety, while celebrating women creating, leading, performing and making room for others to do the same. Here’s what we reported this week.
- Nigerian Author, Lola Shoneyin Set to Host 14th Edition of Akè Arts & Book Festival
The Aké Arts and Book Festival has officially announced dates for its 14th edition under the theme “Native Intelligence”. The festival will take place at BON Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State, from Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21, 2026. Founded in 2013 by Nigerian author and poet Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn through the Book Buzz Foundation, the Aké Arts & Book Festival is Africa’s largest annual gathering of writers, editors, critics, filmmakers, publishers, creatives, and artists. The festival promotes, develops, and celebrates African literature, creativity, and reading culture. It was named after Akè, a neighbourhood in Abeokuta, where Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka was born. It was initially held annually in Ogun State from 2013 to 2017 before moving to Lagos in 2018.
- “She died for nothing:” Nigerians remember Aunty Esther’s death after Jehovah’s Witnesses update their doctrine
Months after Nigerians watched Mensha Omotola Esther, popularly called Aunty Esther, refuse a blood transfusion during her battle with breast cancer, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have changed their position on some of the very blood components at the centre of her treatment.
- Call for Applications: Naija Feminists Media 2026 Editorial Fellowship on Reproductive Health
As part of its commitment to advancing feminist journalism and gender reporting, Naija Feminists Media invites media professionals to apply for its 2026 Editorial Fellowship on reproductive health to mark #16DaysofActivism Against Gender-Based Violence.
- Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, Receives Social Impact Award
Dr Nonye Soludo, the Anambra State First Lady, has received the 2026 National Leadership Conference Award in recognition of her contributions to social impact and community development. The award was bestowed on her on Saturday, September 18, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
- The Stage Is My Shrine”: How Real Warri Pikin Navigates Sexist Attack in Nigeria Public Sphere
Nigerian comedian Anita Asuoha, popularly known as Real Warri Pikin, spent the days after winning Best Stand-Up Comedian at the 2026 AFRIMMA Awards defending a stage moment that was nothing unusual, except that it happened to her.
- NFM Set to Host X Space to Commemorate International Safe Abortion Day
In commemoration of the International Safe Abortion Day, Naija Feminists Media (NFM), Nigeria’s leading media organisation dedicated to feminist journalism, is set to host an X Space on the topic: “Who Pays the Price When Abortion is Unsafe?” The event will be held on Monday, September 28, 2026.
- Mr Presh, Audrey Cyril’s Fiancé is accused of cheating with multiple women; why is the Conversation About Her?
A woman can spend months, sometimes years, building a relationship with a man only to discover that the version of the relationship she understood wasn’t the one he was living. This possibility is at the centre of the controversy surrounding Audrey Cyril, a Christian TikTok creator whose engagement to Mr Presh has become the subject of a growing social media controversy after several women came forward with claims that they had been romantically involved with him.
- Your Beliefs Should Belong to You:” Debra Ukauwa on Atheism and Deconstructing Religion
Debra Chiemela Ukauwa is a Nigerian software engineering student, feminist and atheist whose journey has been from a deeply religious upbringing to questioning and eventually leaving Christianity. Through writing and social media, Debra explores questions of belief, morality, feminism, atheism, and identity, emphasising critical thinking and the freedom to question ideas.
- DOHS Foundation Issues Cease-and-Desist Notice to Emmanuel Onyekachi for Harassment
DOHS Cares for Vulnerable Women and Children Foundation has issued a formal public notice and cease-and-desist notice against Emmanuel Onyekachi, a Tech Consultant, for “ongoing intimidation, telephone harassment, physical harassment, and threats against the organisation and its first responders.”
- Nigeria’s 2027 Presidential Race: Here’s What To Know About Ada Okwori and Esther Okereke contesting for the seat
Of the 18 presidential candidates on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list for Nigeria’s January 16, 2027 election, two are women. In a country that has never had a female president, in over six decades of independence and 26 unbroken years of democratic rule, their emergence as candidates is worthy to note.
- WHO Expands Contraceptive Options for Women, Girls
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidance expanding contraceptive options for women and girls, including recommending mifepristone as an additional emergency contraception option and supporting longer use of some existing contraceptive methods. The new WHO Guidelines on Expanding Contraceptive Options, published on September 23, 2026, provide evidence-based recommendations on contraceptive methods and practices not previously included in WHO guidance or that differ from existing recommendations.
- Call for Applications: Digital Safety Training for Women Human Rights Defenders
In Nigeria, feminists use digital platforms to organise, document human rights violations, mobilise communities, and advocate for gender equality. However, these same platforms have become spaces where they experience harassment, cyberattacks, and other forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence designed to frustrate their activism.As part of our commitment to promoting gender equality and mainstreaming feminism, Naija Feminists Media invites feminists based in Lagos to apply for a one-day convening on digital safety for women human rights defenders.
