Leading Protests Is Not The Only Valid Form Of Feminism

I am a firm believer in the power of women’s voices. Ever since childhood, I’ve been someone who did not stop talking and using my voice to speak on things that did not give me comfort. 

My main belief is that women cannot make true progress until we discard doctrines that encourage silence in women as a valid form of womanhood.

As I grew older and became more intentional about feminism and writing, I began to look for ways I could use my voice to speak on the issues that had not.only affected me because I was female, but also to use that voice to encourage more women to own their truth. 

Naturally, I began to write a lot more and that made me open a blog at age fourteen. I did that to document my healing journey as a survivor of gendered bullying in secondary school.

Another way I began to use my voice as a teenager and young adult was to attend and plan protests. I cannot remember when the desire for being in a protest started but I do know images of women protesting with power fists have always given me a very huge dopamine rush. I wanted that too for myself.

I got the opportunity when I attended my first protest in July 2018. I can still remember it like it was yesterday. It was organised by the group We Will Not Be Silent Nigeria which had notable feminists like Ebele Molua, Seyilogo Braithwaite and Tamilore Braithwaite.

That protest was done in response to the call out of sexual abusers in prominent Lagos secondary schools and as someone who had experienced gendered bullying in secondary school, I could not miss it for anything. Over three hundred youths marched in Lagos demanding that rape culture should end and that rape was never the fault of the woman or girl. 

Even though we experienced slut shaming from some people on the road for wearing shorts, words cannot describe the feeling of joy that washed over me. It felt as though I was finally using my voice boldly.

I have since gone on to plan, lend my voice to and organise other protests as a Nigerian feminist physically and virtually.

Some of them are #SayHerNameNigeria, #IStandWithBusolaDakolo, #JusticeForUwa and Women Against Rape Nigeria. In addition to these, I have also called out men who are rapists and abusers and I continue to speak against rape and domestic violence on my social media pages.

All that being said, as important as protests are, I’m moving to a point in my feminism where I no longer hold them as the holy grail of using my voice. Don’t get me wrong. Protests are great. I may still go for protests even after writing this. I however cannot ignore that after most protests I often felt exhausted and drained and very depressed.

This has made me realise that protests are not the only valid method of being a feminist. I believe now, that fighting for economic freedom, mentoring and educating younger women is just as valid as carrying a placard. That’s why I created a safe space group called The Emecheta Collective to help women creatives discuss and strategise on how to seek support and build our businesses.

Writing and being on radio or Youtube speaking about women’s rights are also very valid forms of being feminist. Sometimes, all that younger women need are older women to guide them in issues like relationships, workplace navigation and dealing with toxic parents.

The truth is that protests are not the only valid form of feminism as great as they are and as necessary as they are. Feminism must ensure to be well rounded such that our progress would be intergenerational. 

This is so that issues like reproductive health and lack of abortion which affect women for life would be looked into. This is such that education and lack of access to adequate employment and maternity leaves would also be addressed.

If we hold protests as the only way to be feminist, women who do not like the depression and fear that can be at protest grounds will be made to feel inferior even if they are active in other areas.