By now, you’ve probably seen a thousand International Women’s Day (IWD) flyers, read a dozen messages from different service providers, and read tons of analyses on what would make life better for Nigerian women. Following the news cycle and consuming the numbers as closely as we do, we believe we have a fair idea of what would make life easier for Nigerian women, but this year, we have decided to shelve the numbers and hear from real Nigerian women (aged 18 to 35).
You will find that some of their answers were straight to the point, while some hammered on other broader issues. Our big question?— “what would make your life better as a woman living in Nigeria?”
Bimbo (housewife)
“You might think I’m being funny, but money will make my life better,” Bimbo said.
“I want to be heard, to be given the opportunity to make my own choices without interference from my husband, and it is money that will make all of that possible for me,” she continued.
Favour (Digital Marketer)
“I need access to opportunities that do not come with sexual harassment—I don’t want to be looked at sexually before I can get jobs,” Favour said.
“I went for an interview once, and I was asked if I was a virgin. On another occasion, a male in my field demanded to have sex with me before he could teach me,” she explained.
“I have experienced sexual harassment a lot, so I am just wondering if it’s even possible to just advance without all these unnecessary sexual advances,” she said.
Ifeoma (Wig Maker)
“I want money, and I think every woman wants the same, to be honest,” she said.
“I feel like most of the issues we go through, like abuse and discrimination, are somehow rooted in financial dependence. Money gives a woman strength, the right to make her own choices and freedom. That’s why I want money.”
Chinwe (remote worker)
“I want to be heard, and I want to be considered. Do you understand?” she asked.
“I really want to be listened to and considered as much as men. My opinion should count. Although most women are not seen as realistic or pragmatic (which I think is our nature), I still think I need to be heard,” she said, shrugging.
Sonia (Product Manager)
“I’m being serious with you. I need money, and I need a lot of it. With money, I would be able to provide all the basic amenities for myself and my loved ones, which the government has repeatedly failed to provide. I would even be able to live in a saner environment if I chose to, and I would live on my own terms.”
“When I am able to earn more, money will no longer be the driver of so many things; I will be able to make better choices. I can decide to take a year’s break from work and not worry about finances. Peace would be the driver of all my decisions, and I would finally have the ability not to take shit from anyone,” she said.
Jennifer (Makeup artist/Jewellery vendor)
“I don’t feel safe in Nigeria. No one one feels safe. Our rights are being tampered with,” she said.
“I want the government to implement effective laws and policies that’ll protect women from violence, discrimination, and harassment.”
“Being female in Nigeria is a tough war. We are faced with pressure within and outside, and every time we try to rise above it, there’s always someone somewhere working against our upliftment in politics, business, as well as our safety.”
“We deserve to live fully and to do more,” she said.
Helen (Cosmetics Vendor)
“Money will make my life better,” she said, hesitating a little.
“I want a Nigeria that works, and I need the right connection to get me to where I need to be in life,” she said.
“I also think women are not treated right in Nigeria, and I wish that would change. The year has barely started, and we have already witnessed gruesome incidents of women being brutally murdered and victimized while their perpetrators roam about without consequences. This cycle of violence not only affects women but also affects their children as well, and it needs to stop.”
Chika (Mandarin interpretator)
“As a Nigerian woman living in Nigeria, having a normal life without feeling like a prey is almost impossible. It does not feel safe to exercise my human right as a woman; it’s almost like I am expected to accept whatever society wants from and with me, irrespective of how uncomfortable I may feel.
“I want an inclusive Nigerian society that would not silence a woman when she has barely even spoken. A society where patriarchy does not rule over women and humanity at large. I want a society where I would not feel guilty about birthing a girl child. I want a safe society for my unborn daughter(s). I want a society where an accused does not sit as both judge and executioner of the case simply because he is male. I want a society where divorce is not frowned upon and made very difficult when it is the woman who files.
“I want a lot of things, but I mostly want to feel okay about being a woman living in Nigeria.”
Winnifred (teacher)
“I need money, and I need business funding so I can be completely financially independent.”
“It will help me to be independent while actualizing my goals and vision of building a safe place for children,” she said, explaining why money is important to her.
Rose (Logistician and Gender-Rights Advocate )
“As a Nigerian woman, my most pressing need is safety and security. I want to exist in public spaces without fear of harassment, assault, or worse. I should be able to go out at night without the constant anxiety of being raped, groped, or murdered. No man should feel entitled to violate my space or put his hands on me simply because I am a woman. Gender-based violence must end, and the systems that allow it to thrive must be dismantled.
Beyond safety, ordinary Nigerian women like myself deserve better workplace policies. We need workplace flexibility, paid maternity leave, and an end to gender-based hiring biases that continue to limit our growth. Women should not have to choose between career advancement and motherhood and should not be denied opportunities simply because of their gender. I just want better.”
The women who spoke to us are of different ages and occupations, but while these aspects of them may differ, their wishes point toward a need for resources to live freely and fully.
The World Economic Forum has revealed that it’ll take until 2158 (133 years) for the world to attain gender parity— it is this revelation that has driven the theme of this year’s IWD celebration, ‘Accelerate Action.’
In asking governments across the world to accelerate action, UN Women wants them to fasten their efforts in promoting women’s rights and equalities and for the Nigerian women who have spoken to us, these actions must come in different forms including financial opportunities, safety, and inclusion.
