2021 was a very interesting year for all of us. Interesting in the sense that we were all still recovering from the effetcs of the lockdown in 2020 while also dealing with new coronavirus strains. We took a lot of hits as individuals and as a society, but here we are now.
The first What She Said story of 2021 was written on the 6th of January, 2021. Since then, we have told a variety of women’s stories. Ranging from their relationship with religion, death, family, and sex work. So, to wrap up your 2021, here are ten of the most-read What She Said stories of 2021. Enjoy!
1 What She Said: My Mother’s Tragedy Taught Me To Live My Best Life
Death has a way of giving us a new outlook on life. For the Uju Anya, the woman in this article, the death of her mother allowed for her to realise how short life is. It also taught her about happiness wherever she can. Read more here
Her death was one of the things that caused me to understand how short life was, that stress and heartache could cause chronic and ultimately fatal illness, and how important it was to find happiness and fulfilment while I was still here to enjoy it.
2 What She Said: I Love My Children, But I’ve Never Liked Them
What is the difference between loving someone and liking them? How can you love your children and not like them? Is it possible to not like your children? A lot of people believe that women automatically like their children simply because they birthed them. However, this is not the same in this womam’s case. Read more here
I would spend hours staring at my child, expecting to become happy by just looking at her. Nothing happened. I faked happiness though. I faked the tears. Everyone around me was so excited; I just had to. And I couldn’t tell anyone.
3 What She Said: I Almost Left My Husband Because He Was An Unbeliever
Religion or a lack of is a major part of Nigerians’ lives. How then do you navigate a relationship with someone who does not have the same belief system as you do? Well, read here to find out what changed in the life of this 62-year-old woman.
My parents found out when they dropped by his house and he asked them why they were there. When they got back, they asked me, “Dupe, did it not take you some time to become a Christian? What makes you think he won’t?” And so we got married.
4 What She Said: How My Boyfriend Became My Stalker
In this story, we are introduced to a 23-year-old Nigerian woman who was being blackmailed and stalked by her then boyfriend. She talks about how the police and lawyers had to get involved, and the role her aunt played in all of it. Read here.
I travelled for a bit. He found out where I travelled to and actually followed me to the state, but he didn’t know exactly where I was. He tried to reach out to me through his useless friends that were also cheating on their girlfriends and wives. I blocked all of them.
5 What She Said: My Ex-Boyfriend Stalked Me For Three Years
Getting broken up with must mean you are free to date again, right? Unfortunately, not for this 29-year-old woman in this story. After being cheated on and broken up with, she tried to move on, but her ex wasn’t letting her. From online harasssment to threatening to leak her nudes, this woman went through a lot in the hands of her ex-boyfriend turned stalker. Read more here.
The day I posted a picture of me and my new boyfriend online, I noticed that some random account on Twitter was favouriting all my photos. Not just the recently posted ones. The account went as far back as a year. I ignored it because I assumed it was all those random bots. Then I started getting DMs from another anonymous account who said that they had my nudes and would deal with me.
6 What She Said: I Guard My Relationship with God Jealously
What’s the most important thing your life? How far will you go to protect it? For Koromone Koroye, the woman in this article, her relationship with God means the most to her, and she guards it with all of her heart. That’s why she kept trying to find a community that understands the importance of her relationship. Read more here
My experience there led me to do some research. As I read the Bible, my relationship with God grew. Nobody “led” me to Christ. I just found myself being like, “This makes sense and I think I learnt it wrong for a long time.”
7 What She Said: People Call Me An Ashewo Because I Travel Alone
“Ashawo”, “Prostitute”, “Whore”. These are some of the words used to describe women irrespective of what they do. For the woman in this story, flying around the world in first and business class is enough for her to be labelled an “ashawo”. Read more here to find out how she navigates it.
I never feel safe travelling alone because men have harassed me physically and verbally. They assume I’m a prostitute because I travel alone. At the airport, people call me ashewo.
8 What She Said: My Mum Hates Me
The 18-year-old in this story is convinced her mother hates her. You might hate your mother too if she put pepper and hot water in your vagina and eyes when you were 11. Read more about her relationship with her mother here.
It was terrible. When the lockdown intensified, my mum made me stop eating at home because I wasn’t dropping money for food. So, I would wake up in the morning and go to my friend’s house next door. We would work out, cook and eat. She fed me for about three months. Then, my ex complained I spent too much time there, so I wasn’t allowed to go there anymore.
9 What She Said: My Current Job Is Having Rich Friends
Have you ever considered having friends a full-time job? Do you think its possible to live a somewhat expensive lifestyle on your friends dime? Well, the woman here answers a few questions on what it is like having rich friends and how it’s basically her job. Read more about having rich friends as a job here.
Sometimes, I can get as much as ₦600,000 a month. It’s not constant but I’d say that I make more than two to three million naira every year just from having rich friends.
10 What She Said: I Love Being A Prostitute
There are a lot of misconceptions about what it is like being a prostitute. From how much they earn to how they even get involved in the business. In this What-She-Said, the 23-year-old woman talks us through her life as a prostitute and how much she loves her job. Read here.
I’m aware that being a prostitute is not a sustainable idea. I’d no longer be as young or as flexible as I am now and would earn less and no longer be as sought after, so I’m going to milk it for as long as I can.
