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| Hello friend, Hope February was kind to you. Let’s welcome you to March with our usual intellectual discourses. We often boast about our progress from the dark days when widows were forced to drink their deceased husbands’ corpse washwater to prove their innocence. Yet, have we truly evolved, or have we merely digitised our cruelty? In today’s Nigeria, the persecution of widows hasn’t ended—it’s simply taken a new form. Instead of physical torture, we’ve embraced digital violence. Social media has become the new village square where widows face trial by public opinion. They’re branded as murderers, accused of infidelity, and forced to defend their children’s paternity –all while processing the devastating loss of their life partners. The stark contrast between society’s treatment of widows and widowers reveals our persistent bias. While widowers are encouraged to move forward and even remarry quickly for their children’s sake, widows face scrutiny for every action. Smile too soon? She must be guilty. Grieve too long? She’s putting on a performance for sympathy. There is no winning move in this cruel game of societal expectations. Society has created only three categories for widows: suspects in their husbands’ death, unfaithful wives who deserved their loss, or women who should have died instead. This toxic perspective reveals how little we’ve progressed from our ancestors’ brutal traditions. Physical torture may have ended, but psychological warfare continues. The calabash of corpse water has been replaced by keyboards and screens, yet the intent remains the same – to punish women for outliving their husbands. At Naija Feminists Media, we’re committed to challenging these persistent forms of widow persecution. Our community provides support, education, and advocacy for women facing digital harassment while working to dismantle these harmful cultural practices. With love and solidarity,The NFM Team. |
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| Marriage is an inherently misogynistic institution – so why do women agree to it?By: Clementine Ford Marriage is an unsalvageable lie designed to keep women in service to the patriarchy and away from realising our full potential. We should reject it entirely and refuse on principle to willingly add our names to a list built primarily on the backs of women who had no choice, no rights and no freedom. The fact that many women still cannot make this choice freely – even Tolentino wound up married because it was the only way she and her partner could access each other’s healthcare benefits – says everything. Simply put, if the government is bribing you to do something, it’s rarely in your best interest. To paraphrase Mae West, they keep telling me marriage is a great institution – but I am not ready for an institution. What I’m ready for is a revolution. Read more on how marriage is an inherently misogynistic institution designed to keep women miserable. |
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| We are excited to announce our participation in the intergenerational feminist capacity-building workshop hosted by WACSI in partnership with BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights. Naija Feminists Media, represented by our founding director, Simbiat Bakare, participated in the programme from February 24 to 28, 2025. This initiative aims to strengthen civil society organisations by bridging generational gaps among feminist leaders. Participants explored their feminist journeys and shared invaluable insights, emphasising knowledge transfer to ensure the women’s movement thrives. You can read more about the workshop and its impact here. |
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| LIBRARY HERE |
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| Join our volunteering team to be a part of social change. We are accepting applications for Content Writer and Editor positions. Send your application to mail@naijafeministsmedia.org.ng.The 2024 Vital Voices Visionaries Programme is now open. Aimed at supporting emerging women leaders through a virtual leadership course and global networking opportunities. Apply now!Apply for the DataCamp Donates scholarship through Women in Big Data to access free training resources. Enhance your skills and career opportunities while supporting diversity in data and analytics! |
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