Motherhood, Suicide and Forced Adoption: My Family’s Story
“Does Mommy abuse me?” I was about ten years old and had been fighting this sharp pain of conflict in my chest for some time. It consisted of what felt like butterflies on fire, clamoring to escape but with no known exit. I didn’t look like what abused children were supposed to look like. I had…
Arranged Marriage, Name Change and Feminism – Story of a Small-Town Girl
Telephone conversation between two arrange marriage prospects: Guy: So, feminist han? I don’t understand what is the problem of feminazis like you? Why can’t you obey a simple tradition? Not only in India, but in most of the countries, women take their husband’s surname after marriage. Children get their father’s surname. That’s how…
Addressing Motherhood Penalty: Organizations Supporting Working Moms Going Back to Work
Motherhood is a complex process in a woman’s life. Despite the joy that having children can bring, women face tremendous changes in their lives. A woman’s body and lifestyle are transforming, she can face difficulties in almost all areas of her life: from physical and mental health to issues of work and career. This article will…
Stigma And Mental Health Impact Of Divorce On Women: A Nigerian Perspective
Divorce refers to the termination of a marriage or a marital union. Divorce usually involves the cancellation or reorganization of a person’s legal duties and responsibilities which were extended to him/her through marriage. In most countries, divorce is required by law so as to allow the former partner to marry another person [Gilman, Kawachi, Fitzmaurice &…
The Burden of Unpaid Care on Women
According to the OECD Development Centre, it is estimated that across the globe, women carry out two to ten times more unpaid care than men. This unwritten expectation that women should carry out these tasks is long-standing. Gender stereotypes and norms have become deeply entrenched in society’s psyche. This article examines the burden of unpaid care…
Equality Starts at Home (ESAH) – Addressing Gender Inequality in the Home
Our Journey Since 2020 I remember June 2020 feeling elated after speaking at the Aspire Reimagination conference. It was the first zoom conference I had spoken at and it was amazing to see all the comments in the chat coming through from hundreds of participants all over the world. You can’t get this type of real-time…
Widowhood Practices In Nigeria And Abuse Of Women’s Right
In many cultures, widowhood in women is considered a stigma, and widows as inauspicious. Various tribes and cultures in Nigeria have diverse ways of practicing rites pertaining to burial, but traditions are particularly hard on women. Culturally widowhood burial rites involve varying degrees of physical hardship, deprivation, ritual contamination, emotional instability, and socioeconomic and psychological trauma.…
At 29, Marriage Is Made My Only Identity
“Beta, my heart is aching. I am getting old. I can’t bear all this pain for long. What will happen to you after I am gone?”, says my mother over the phone. “Just marry and I will be okay,” she adds. Before I could even use an excuse to hang up, my father goes on to…
Girls’ Education: Challenges and Recommendations
Education is one of the most important stages of every child’s life, allowing the opportunity for children to grow socially as well as academically. Not only is education important for the economic development of a country, but it also has a huge impact on the economic empowerment of an individual. However, most importantly, education is one…
Understanding The Harmful Tradition of Breast Ironing
What is Breast Ironing? Breast Ironing is a harmful cultural practice that continues to perpetuate silently in different parts of the world for centuries. Breast ironing is the pounding or ironing of a pubescent girl’s breasts, using hard or heated objects like stones, spatulas, and pestles, over a period of time (sometimes years) for the breasts…
