International Women’s Day Must Go Beyond Performative Activism 

Today, on International Women’s Day, Nigeria will again witness an outpouring of solidarity. Social media will be flooded with hashtags, organisations will roll out themed flyers, and politicians may deliver rehearsed speeches. But when the day ends, and the spotlight fades, what will actually change? This is why this year’s global theme, “Accelerate Action” must be more than a slogan. It must be a demand for tangible, structural shifts that move beyond performative gestures to #CollectiveActionNow.

Women in Nigeria have been told for long to rise, push harder, and break barriers. But why must we always be the ones to adapt, to fight, to prove our worth? As Gloria Steinem rightly said, “Don’t think about making women fit the world—think about making the world fit women.” The responsibility for change should not rest solely on women. It is time to shift the focus from individual resilience to systemic changes. It means reshaping policies, institutions, and cultural mindsets so women do not have to battle for basic dignity and equality.

Organisations must stop reducing International Women’s Day to graphic design competitions and empty pledges. Year after year, they churn out posts celebrating women while maintaining workplaces riddled with gender bias. It is not enough to acknowledge the problem; action must be taken. Harassment policies must be clear, firm, and enforced without fear or favour. Promotion structures must be re-evaluated so that women are not overlooked in boardrooms while being praised in social media posts. Maternity policies should reflect real support, not reluctant compliance. Pay gaps must be confronted with transparency, not buried under excuses. A company that truly values women does not need a themed campaign to prove it—it will show in its policies and everyday practices.

Beyond organisations, the community must reflect on its role in perpetuating inequality. Women and girls are still systematically excluded from decision-making spaces, whether in politics, religious institutions, or even family discussions. Cultural norms continue to dictate what is “acceptable” for women, confining them from the margins of power. But a society that sidelines half of its population cripples itself. Thomas Sankara once said, “There is no true social revolution without the liberation of women.” Nigeria, a country needing transformation, cannot afford to ignore this truth. It is time to dismantle the structures that keep women as secondary citizens and actively work to create an inclusive, equitable society.

Communities must stop treating gender equality as an abstract concept and start seeing women as full humans with rights, ambitions, and contributions that matter. When girls are denied education because “a woman’s place is in the home,” it is not just a personal loss but a national one. The economy suffers when women are excluded from land ownership and economic opportunities. When survivors of gender-based violence are met with blame instead of justice, it signals that women’s safety is negotiable. These are not just women’s issues; they are societal crises that demand collective urgency.

Individuals, too, have a role to play. It is not enough to claim to support women while reinforcing harmful stereotypes in everyday interactions. It is not enough to celebrate the achievements of daughters while restricting the dreams of wives and sisters. It is not enough to teach girls to be strong while failing to teach boys to respect them as equals. Change begins with the conversations we have at home, the biases we unlearn, and the actions we take when no one is watching. It is in the hiring decisions made by employers, the policies advocated for by lawmakers, and the attitudes upheld by communities.

International Women’s Day should not be a day of convenient activism but a catalyst for sustained progress. The goal is not to make women endlessly fight for space but to create a world where their presence, success, and well-being are non-negotiable. Nigeria must move beyond symbolic gestures to real, measurable change. The time for passive support is over. The call is clear: accelerate action, dismantle barriers, and commit to #CollectiveActionNow