By Miriam Omede

I was forced to bleed into a sanitary pad for more than the advised 8 hours because I simply couldn’t afford to change to a fresh one. I silently suffered the discomfort and humiliation that the red stains on my skirt would cause me. I am not alone. 37 million girls in Nigeria are forced to ration their limited supply of pads EVERY MONTH to make them last longer, thereby putting themselves at great risk of developing deadly infections
including UTIs! The wealthy may not think twice about stuff like this, but average Nigerians like me know how much 1200 Naira means for a young schoolgirl. When you have other expenses like food and education to meet, health always takes a backseat.

I am running an online petition appealing to Always, the global sanitary pad giant, to subsidize products for school girls, starting with Kogi, my hometown. Why Always? On their website, they have stated that they “care about women and girls” and are committed to ending period poverty. They write, “Despite the ongoing challenges, Always wants to show girls that they’re #SupportedAlways and help #EndPeriodPoverty so that periods don’t hold young people back.”

If Always can donate more than 50 million pads since they started their #EndPeriodPoverty campaign in the US, then why not in Nigeria? If this global brand with its heart in the right place subsidises pads for school girls in Kogi, then every vulnerable girl will feel protected, and her confidence, dignity and education will be boosted.

Menstruation is a biological feature of every woman and no one should suffer health risks because of their sex. With Nigeria ranking 103 out of 121 in the 2022 Global Hunger Index, women in low-income states are the major victims of period poverty. If this subsidy is not effected, many girls would continue to be exposed to the risk of infections and diseases which would in the long run affect their academics, self-esteem and future.

Join over 400 Nigerians who have signed this petition and lend your voice towards creating
a safe space for the girl child in Nigeria.

_______
Miriam Omede is a Nguvu Collective Change leader based in Nigeria

By Wisdom Olobayo

The referee points the starting pistol skywards, flanked by a roaring crowd to his right and an array of eight hyper focused athletes waiting to hear the blast of the gun to his left.

“On your marks.”

BOOM! The gun goes off!

A sturdy, well-built 18-year-old hotshot races into an early lead, leaving some of the world’s best athletes to eat dust. And with all of South Africa behind their own, a new champion from Limpopo is born, powering across the finishing line with a time of 1 minute, 55 seconds, and 45 microseconds, claiming Gold at the 2009 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championship.

This very moment would become the starting block of a remarkable and unforgettable career. And for the rest of our lives, too, we’d never forget the name; Caster Semenya.

The moment the race was over, rumors made the rounds concerning a gender investigation. The IAAF, reportedly, wanted to know whether Caster was a woman or a man. And in November of the same year, they seemed to confirm the rumors by barring Caster from all track events—a punitive measure usually reserved for athletes who failed doping tests. Only the offense, in this case, was genetics.

“What is a woman?”

This singular question, promulgated by a certain Matt Walsh, might go on to be crowned the most popular question of the year 2023—and for good reasons. It took the IAAF a full eleven months to answer this question, allowing Caster to return to track after accepting “the conclusion of a panel of medical experts.” The bold-faced athlete was allowed to run again. But with each triumph—and there have been many—came debilitating scrutiny and even further uncertainty about what a woman is from IAAF quarters. (See here for Caster Semenya’s track records). Doubtless, restrictions that seemed to target Caster in particular rolled in one after another.

Caster was born with Hyperandrogenism, a rare genetic condition that could present itself as symptoms congruent with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or as a DSD (Differences of Sexual Development) condition. Females with “Hyperandrogenism related to DSD” are reported by various research papers to produce testosterone at levels several times more significant than those found in most other women and by effect, bound to have a greater competitive advantage in “physical contact” sports and track and field. It, however, remains one of the hottest debate topics in the world of sports.

In 2011, the IAAF issued a policy requiring all female athletes who wished to participate in international track competitions to have their testosterone levels reduced to under 10 nanomoles/Litre (the testosterone levels of the average female human are between 0.06 to 1.68 nmol/L). Caster fought back legally, as expected, but her participation in the 2012 London Olympics seems to be an indication that she later complied. Undeterred by the restriction, she clinched the silver medal in the 800 meters category, but in a favourable twist of events picked up the gold medal after the original winner was disqualified for violating doping rules. This particular race in her career became the proof her critics needed that she indeed has an unfair advantage in her hyperandrogenism. She would go on to win three more gold medals in the same category; one each at the World Championships held in Moscow and London in 2013 and 2017 respectively, and one at the Olympics in 2016. Two of the medals however came after the imposed restriction on testosterone levels was overruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in 2015 citing the “absence of evidence.”

As if in response to Caster Semenya’s serial successes, the next restriction came in 2018, demanding that “any athlete who has a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD)…must reduce her blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a continuous period of at least six months (e.g., by use of hormonal contraceptives); and thereafter must maintain her blood testosterone level below five (5) nmol/L continuously (i.e: whether she is in competition or out of competition) for so long as she wishes to remain eligible”. Once again, Caster went on to appeal to CAS against this regulation citing that she “suffered from regular fevers and had constant internal abdominal pain” caused by taking testosterone dampeners between 2010 and 2015. This time, however, CAS upheld the IAAF’s restrictions after they released a 163-page document (here is a summary) explaining why DSD athletes need to be on the dampeners. Caster filed yet another appeal, this time at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, and lost. Determined to keep competing without restriction, Caster took her appeal (the third) to the European Court of Human Rights.

Semenya has since refused to take any medication that will inhibit her natural ability and as a result, has been barred from competing in international events that have been marked as “restricted” since the regulation took effect in 2019. In her own words, “I’ll always run 800 metres …The 800 metres is my calling, I believe in it. I can’t be forced to switch races, I’ll switch when I want to switch races. No man can tell me what to do.” Caster has always interpreted the regulations that have plagued her career as prejudice against women and an assault on women’s rights, but not so many other women have come together in agreement with her on this matter, especially fellow track athletes in the 800m category who really cannot compete against her natural advantage, with one particular athlete she faced at the World Championship in Berlin referring to her as a “man” while speaking to reporters after the race.

The IAAF and other critics have several times debunked the allegation that the new regulations determining eligibility is a witch-hunt of Caster or an affront against her claimed femininity. In the words of Michael Beloff, Chairman of the IAAF Ethics Board, ‘‘It’s not that they are not women. The question is something different: Should they be able to compete as women in a sporting contest that’s got a binary divide? It is on this exact line that Caster contends. Who decides what is “woman” enough? Is femininity a deciding factor of sex? Reflecting on her earlier running days in 2008, she talked about how she offered to show officials her genitals when rumours sprang up regarding her sex, in a desperate attempt to avoid unfair backlash or be disqualified from the Olympics that was ahead.

In July 2023, she won her appeal at the court by a majority of four out of seven judges on the panel with the court stating that there was a “violation of the prohibition of discrimination taken together with the right to respect for private life as well as a violation of the right to an effective remedy.” perpetrated by the IAAF (now called World Athletics). This, however, does not still qualify the 31-year-old to participate again in track events regulated by World Athletics. It remains to be seen, whether we have heard the last of Caster Semenya on the track.

Disclaimer: It took me so long to get this article together, owing to its highly controversial nature (if you notice, I didn’t use any pronouns to address her for the most part of this piece). The links are there so that you can go through the facts and find the truth for yourself. But regardless of what you believe, please ensure you keep your conversations, opinions, and debates about Caster respectful and humane.

By Victoria Akingbemila

“For girls, our bodies, our choices, our thoughts are all policed by shame”

– Do Revenge (2022) 

The shame of this world is reserved for women. Women are shamed for everything; being boisterous, getting raped, being single, being childless, having too much children, growing a career, being jobless, everything. 

Brown in his piece, “I thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making The Journey From ‘What People Think’ to ‘I am Enough,’”  explained that “Women’s experience of shame relates to who they should be, how they should be and what they should be.” Women define themselves through the lens of what society expects of them and when they act in ways that fall short, although are inherently human, they are attacked for it. 

Society understands that just forcing women to keep quiet wouldn’t work, as with the scold’s bridle, hence the instrument of shame. With shame, women question and negatively evaluate themselves till it impedes on their self-worth and their confidence takes a beating. With their non-existent confidence and zero sense of self, it becomes easy to tame and control women. Thus, shaming is a tool that prevents women from protesting against injustices and systemic inequalities. 

If a woman finds out she’s being cheated on, society somehow tries to convince her that it was her fault, she was being neglectful. A child is raped and society blames the child for being “fast”; no consequence for the pedophile. A woman talks about the dangers of pregnancy and society descends on her, calls her weak and accuses her of threatening to destroy the sanctity of motherhood. A woman talks about her predatory boss and society blames her for it; “she must have worn short skirts to work” or “she’s trying to seduce him for a promotion.” And when there is evidence beyond doubt that the man is at fault, society turns it into a life lesson as to why women should stay in the kitchen and not try to “compete” with men by working. 

What does this culture of shaming women’s every action do? It shuts Women up. 

“If you are silent about your pain, the world will kill you and say you enjoyed it.” You hear them romanticize the days of our mothers and how they were “strong women” who held the home together at all cost. Our mothers never complained, they did their bit in silence, suffered in silence, and society applauds them for it. 

The patriarchy thrives on women’s silence. As long as women are quiet, there is no room for resistance. When women are quiet, there’s no way to form alliances against exploitation. There’s also no way to grow, because a problem shared is one half solved. When women don’t share, they suffer in silence. The patriarchy is interested in the division and isolation of women. Almost like the divide and conquer technique used during colonialism. 

A couple of weeks ago, I explained why it was important for women to gossip. To learn from the experiences and struggles of other women, exchange ideas, and to use that to carve a better society for themselves. 

This is why I am a militant crusader of women loosening themselves from the shackles of what people think or would say. Not only to share their struggles but to share success stories, and ignore society’s attempts to minimize it. This is because one woman’s story is a beacon of light on a thousand women’s paths. 

By Tinuola Akinsete

With so much heartbreak and pain, she sat there imagining different things women go through, ranging from molestation to various forms of abuse. And even though men also seem to have it difficult, in comparison, women have had it worse.

I have heard of female genital mutilation and other forms of gender-based violent crimes, she thought out loud, but she wondered at the discovery of something new, this one she hadn’t heard before. She cringed at the thought of the pain the girl child feels. She reflected on days the cooking pot burns her skin while cooking or how painful it is when the pressing iron or fire slightly hits her skin and how she jerks up, looking for a way to ease the pain.

Now imagine, “Breast Ironing”? 

This is the disheartening reality that female teenagers and even girls as young as eight years old face in some parts of Nigeria, as a result of the inhumane practices carried out on them just for being female.

A practical description of this inhumane act is using a heated object against a girl’s breast to stop or delay its development and this heated material could be an iron, stone, cast iron, coconut shell, or hammer among others.  Some wrap the breast areas tightly with a clothing material to suppress the growth of the breast or use slightly thick belts until the breasts flatten out entirely. This torture goes on for a couple of weeks till the goal is reached, regardless of the pain the girl undergoes. 

The question now is, why? Why do they do this to innocent girls?

According to research done by the African Health Organisation (AHO), the belief behind breast ironing is that it “saves” young girls from rape, harassment, and early forced marriage. In other words, this act makes the girl less attractive, so she won’t be a victim of rape. But has that ever stopped abusers from attacking women and girls of all ages?

Let’s pause for a moment.

What about those who rape children who have no breasts? Does this mean women have to go through torture because of men’s inadequacies and indiscipline? Does this mean girls and women have to bear the brunt of irresponsible actions of the opposite gender? Endless questions! 

This is exactly how the world we live in is wired; a world where victim has to pay for the predator’s actions. One important factor underlying the practice is that it is regarded as a form of “protection”.

This act of breast ironing affects girls and women in numerous ways. Asides from death, the practice tends to bring about various health issues such as cancer, tissue damage, abscesses, itching, and breast infections, which could interfere with breastfeeding and even the complete disappearance of one or both breasts.

This also affects their mental health negatively. According to mental health experts, child abuse influences the brain and results in psychological challenges. Traumatic experiences affect the child’s mental health and development. Victims face elevated stress levels, psycho-emotional problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and some even contemplate suicide attempts.

In the year 2000, the United Nations identified breast ironing as one of the 5 intersecting forms of discrimination and overlooked crimes against women. Reuters reported in 2014 that nationwide campaign against the practice had helped reduce the rate of breast ironing by 50 percent in the country.

To this end, we need to join the campaign and intensify efforts against breast ironing, in order to stop this crime against women. Breast ironing represents a denial of the dignity of females. Also, it denies girls and women the right to live free from gender discrimination and violation. Coupled with the fact that it is often carried out without the consent of the female involved, it restricts victims’ agency, decision-making, and control over their bodies, lives, and sexuality. Let’s lend our voices as much as we can. No woman should go through so much torture to live freely.

Please, leave her breasts alone!

By TamaraTari Alakiri

They say that a family looks after and cares for their own but in the case of ‘Uncle’, he makes bride price lists look like the annual spending budget of a country and boldly knocks at your door to ask for more when he lavishes it all in barely two months. 

They say that a family is the strongest unit in the society and that the bonds are pure and unbreakable but you will later discover that your siblings are the weapon fashioned against you and your romantic relationship. 

This story, His Only Wife, took us at Her Story’s Book Lovers Club to the moon and back. It was indeed an adventurous ride. Set in Ghana, we were immersed into the culture and practices of a small town called Ho. We were introduced to their food, family systems, settings and values. 

From the onset, the Protagonist, Afi, is set to marry into a wealthy family by proxy. The extravagance of the event does not end at the wedding but extends to when Afi is ushered into a rented luxury apartment where she never, in her former trenches life, could have imagined she would be. However, the drama starts when she discovers that the apartment is not her husband’s house. This turbulent ride gets more interesting and controversial when we finally meet the elusive husband, Eli, a good looking and successful man who wanted to eat his cake and have it. 

This isn’t some wait till the middle then it gets interesting type of novel but a story of a young tenacious Afi Tekple, married off to the wealthy Elikem Ganyo, in a bid to save him from the ‘spell’ his family believes he is under by his current girlfriend that he has a child with. Innocent as a good wife is expected to be, Afi diligently does everything in her power to impress Eli and his family. Though unknown to her a false and negative narrative had been painted by Eli’s Mother and siblings which Afi only realizes when it’s too late, though that didn’t stop her earlier from fighting imaginary battles to taking extra measures just to ‘secure’ her spot in her husband’s house. That of course ended up futile because Afi got served a sumptuous breakfast. 

This literary breath of fresh air explores themes of entitlement in the family setting, overbearing in-laws, deception, ambition, and the intimacy of feminine friendships. The major take home that had the book club spurting with admiration and love is that Afi chose herself and her wellbeing above all else. She got the bag and leveled up – with prospects for a comfortable life with her child, Selorm-  but not as his only wife.

By Ewaoluwa Adekanye

The Ethiopia-Tigray civil war is no stranger to us, or is it? Let me give you a quick brush-up on the subject. The Ethiopia-Tigray war started on 3 November 2020 between the Ethiopian government and forces in the Northern Tigray. This crisis has led to a lot of humanitarian crises in the region. As one would expect, amidst this humanitarian crisis is the prevalence of sexual violence against women; with soldiers from both warring sides sexually violating women. The baffling part of this is that on the 3rd of November 2022, the second year of the conflict, the Ethiopian government made a peace deal with its rivals in Tigray. One would think that after making such a landmark deal, sexual violence on both sides would reduce but alas opposite has been the case. 

On the contrary, there have been numerous reports of rape in the aftermath of the conflict. According to the BBC, there were reports of sexual violence just 13 days after the peace deal was signed, where a young woman was raped by two Eritrean soldiers. On a phone interview with BBC Journalists, an 80 year old woman recounted her experience of being brutally raped by three men. The physical effects of this ordeal has left her unable to control the urges to pass urine and stool. Another survivor spoke up about being taken to an empty house by two Eritrean soldiers and raped all night, afterwhich she was allowed to leave in the morning. Weeks later, she found out that she had gotten pregnant and had to have an abortion. 

According to a report given by the Tigray Health Bureau in November 2022, a whopping total of 820+ women were raped within the two years of war. It is important to note that the new cases of sexual violence after the peace deal, negate all the hand-shaking and waving in front of the press by the warring parties. When asked in Kenya, Eritrea’s reclusive, President Isaias Afwerk, refuted all claims of sexual violence in the region. 

According to all reports, all active fighting between both warring sides has ceased, but is the crisis truly over? Will the ripple effect of sexual violence be allowed to continue and flourish? Are women to continue being the proverbial grass suffering under the weight of two rampaging elephants?