Feminists: Beacons of change and solidarity in the fight against injustice in Nigeria

Photo: Nengi Nelson

The riveting story of the nationwide protests by Nigerian youths—demanding a reform of the Nigerian Police and justice against erring officers—against the four-time supposedly disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) will not be complete without acknowledging the glaring impacts of women, especially women in the feminist movement.

Nigerian women and feminists have demonstrated a long history of readiness to act in the face of injustice. Examples are replete in the history books. There is the case of the Agbaja women who left their homes for almost a month when they suspected men of killing pregnant women. Their actions led to the immediate address of the situation by village chiefs. In 1924, more than 3,000 women in Calabar marched against government-imposed market tolls on women traders. A few years later, in 1929, there was another recorded protest of 25,000 women, the infamous Aba Women Protests, which would later be recognised as the first major challenge of the British authorities in Nigeria during the colonial period.

The #EndSARS movement in 2020 has been no different from these prerecorded women-led protests.

In July 2020, a group of feminist women in Nigeria came together to form an NGO known as the Feminist Coalition. The organisation’s main aim is to further the rights of Nigerian women, with a focus on their safety, financial equality, and political and legislative power. In the light of recent happenings in the country, founding members of the Feminist Coalition—Jola Ayeye, Fakhrriyyah Hashim, Obiageli Ogini Alintah, Kiki Mordi, Ozzy Etomi, Ayodeji Osowobi, Ire Aderinokun, Laila Johnson-Salami, Karo Omu, Tito Ovia, Isioma Idigbe, Layo Ogunbawo, and Damilola Odufuwa amongst others—stepped out of their comfort zones to add their voices, support protesters and help sustain the nationwide peaceful protests against SARS killings, extortions, sexual assaults, harassment, and police brutality in general. These feminists rallied women in their numbers and mobilised the first set of protests from October 8, 2020.

It is important to note that these protests would not have recorded their huge success and global recognition without the women who amplified, through their various platforms, the call to #EndSARS and #ReformThePolice, keeping alive the sustained grievances, frustration and anger from survivors of police brutality necessary to keep the movement running vibrantly. The very noticeable component of these marches led by women is the focused effort to ensure the wellbeing of those involved in the movement.

In the face of over 100 protests organised all over the country, funds were raised through crowdfunding, disbursed to protesters in various states through protest coordinators, and carefully accounted for on the Feminist Coalition social media handles and official website.

During these protests, violence—including shootings and unlawful arrests—were meted out on protesters by the police. With these funds and their individual influences, feminist women rallied over 150 pro bono lawyers to see to the release of the detained. Ambulances and first aid response teams were stationed at protests grounds in case of medical emergencies. Following the attacks on protesters by thugs in Alausa Lagos and Benin City, security companies were hired and placed at protest grounds. Feminists also partnered with mental health caregivers to provide survivors of abuse during protests free access to therapy both online and offline.

How togetherness and all-round cross-border cooperation was shown during the protests among feminists and women globally, especially in Africa, is noteworthy. Nigerian feminists have received donations in cash and support through the publicity of the movement by feminists in the diaspora—from Elsa Majimbo, a Kenyan woman who acquired a large following during the COVID-19 lockdown, to Egyptian feminist and writer, Mona Eltahawy.

Women in media have also contributed a great deal to the #EndSARS movement because without publicity there would be little to no recorded success: Ope Adedeji, editor of Zikoko magazine, photojournalist Kiki Mordi of #SexForGrades, Stephanie Busari of CNN Africa, Yemisi Adegoke of BBC, photojournalist and artist Yagazie Emezi, photojournalist Rachel Seidu, just to mention a few, were among many Nigerian feminists and women who used their platforms to amplify the demands of the #EndSARS movement. Nigerian DJ, Obianuju Catherine Udeh, popularly known as DJ Switch, live-streamed, on her Instagram account, the October 20 Lekki Tollgate protest to over 150,000 users, which provided evidence of the shooting of unarmed protesters by the Nigerian army. Similarly, Aisha Yesufu, co-organiser of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, led the Abuja protesters in the first wave of the #EndSARS protests.

Feminist women as beacons of change and hope and peace in Nigeria today is a sight worthy to behold. This has already been shown by preceding movements and protests such as #SayHerNameNigeria by Karo Omu, #JusticeForUwa, MarketMarch against sexual abuse by Ebelechukwu Molua and Damilola Marcus, Stand To End Rape by Oluwaseun Ayodeji Sowobi, among others. The #EndSARS movement swept aside (even though momentarily) the dominant narrative that feminists are bitter angry women who are incapable of empathy and hate men for a living. Feminist women who have used their various platforms to actively advocate the rights of women, for equality, have come to represent the symbol of change and revolution needed to win the war against unjust, unequal and corrupt systems in Nigeria.

Justice would not be served in this commentary on the work of feminists in the peaceful protests against police brutality in Nigeria without mentioning the hard work of feminists women like Feyikemi Abudu, Moe Odele, Aderinke Rene Ahmed, Chef Obubu, Uloma Doreen, Winifred “Freddie” Jacob, and many others whose relentless activism stand unwavering. Now, feminists like Feyikemi Abudu believe that more women should be involved in active leadership roles in the country as the #EndSARS protests have shown that women are needed to get the system working again in Nigeria.

Through the protests, feminist women have shown empathy and solidarity by creating, within a short time and without being asked, a transparent system that is accessible, efficient, and accountable. Nigerian women have shown that together, unafraid of lending their voices when needed, equality for all can be truly achieved if every person, down to the last man, is free of oppression. As a very unpopular saying goes, “the ‘e’ in feminist stands for everyone.”

Years from now, today’s Nigerian feminists will be in our history books, but first we must work to see that the culture of the deliberate erasure of women from the roles they play in critical times in our history does not foster in our time. This is indeed a time to be a proud feminist and a Nigerian youth.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amarachukwu is a Nigerian undergrad. She wears the title of writer, feminist and other times, poet, boldly. Her works have appeared in NgigaReview, GreenBlackTales, Urights.com, Ukwumango and elsewhere. While Amara performs poetry on her podcast leisurely, she also tries to pass time scaring people into believing she performs witchcraft. Get at her on Twitter and Instagram @amaratheamazon