Expanding your politics beyond feminism

One of the major failings of any form of activism is the refusal of those at the helm to realise that their struggle is not the sole or ultimate struggle on earth. A dogged refusal to acknowledge the oppression and struggle of others is a gateway to becoming an oppressor even in your oppression. The…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 15, 20211Comment

Everyday Feminism

Workplace Microaggressions: The Aftermath of Confrontation

After confronting oppressive systems and people, after a probable internal struggle and crossing all the barriers that make women unwilling to speak up, what happens? In this week’s episode of WNCYA, Awazi talks about how when she confronted the men who’d been speaking over her, they made her feel like she was crazy. “At the…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 12, 20210Comments

Everyday Feminism

Handling confrontation as a woman

Women have been silenced for so long that many of us automatically opt for conflict avoidance even when we are well within our right to complain, especially when the complaint is against a man. When a man harasses or even assaults a woman, she is expected to massage his ego still so that he doesn’t…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 10, 20211Comment

Everyday Feminism

Women have started to decentre marriage, here’s why

Who does marriage really benefit? Marriage across cultures has a reputation of being the peak event of our journey through life. The ultimate goal and the answer to the big question, “What is your purpose on earth?”. The emphasis placed on the necessity of marriage for women is packaged as well-meaning even when the…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 8, 20211Comment

Everyday Feminism

Fighting for women’s liberation in the face of a dictatorship and the rigidity of the culture

Toufah Jallow said no. She said no to the most powerful man in the Gambia and the result of that is something we’ve come to know too well. Patriarchy along with oppressive structures of power like the dictatorial government breeds a culture of silence among Gambian women so when Toufah decided to speak up against…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 5, 20212Comments

Everyday Feminism

Sexist tropes: The one where hobbies are gendered

The assignment of some activities to certain genders starts early. Female children are adorned in all pink everything and male children in blue. Boys get toys like balls for a variety of sports, cars, guns; girls get dolls, faux makeup and cooking equipment. This subtle programming has an impact on people all their lives. Some…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJuly 1, 20210Comments

Everyday Feminism

The harm in “gender preference” and how it manifests in socialisation

The term “gender preference” or “sexual preference” describes the desire of biological parents for either a male or female child. Where they are displeased by the predicted sex of their unborn child, infanticide and sex-selective abortions are used to achieve the desired result. Mainly, individual, cultural and socio-economic factors influence gender preferences. The primary driving…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJune 30, 20211Comment

Everyday Feminism

Emotional Justice

Everyone knows introductions are extremely important; a captivating header to usher in the ensuing speech. Esther Armah’s introduction set the pace for the rest of the conversation. “You know who really has audacity though? Global black women. They have to have because of the history that we’ve lived. So, I don’t need to aspire to…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJune 28, 20210Comments

Everyday Feminism

Sexist tropes: The one where “women are women’s worst enemies”

How many women grew up thinking female friends are jealous women who they had to compete with for male approval? Or that being “one of the boys” elevates you to being a cool girl… “Not like the other girls”? There's a certain divisiveness that comes into play when female relationships are being discussed. We constantly…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJune 26, 20213Comments

Everyday Feminism

Navigating life as a “strong” and an “angry” black woman

Stereotypes, in general, can often be unfounded, violent and harmful to the people they are applied to. Some of the more common stereotypes of black women stem from a distinct anti-blackness that is deeply rooted in patriarchy. The strong black woman trope at first glance seems to empower but this singular stereotype has cost black…

ByAtinuke FalaiyeJune 23, 20211Comment

Author page: Atinuke Falaiye

Atinuke Falaiye

Expanding your politics beyond feminism

Workplace Microaggressions: The Aftermath of Confrontation

Handling confrontation as a woman

Women have started to decentre marriage, here’s why

Fighting for women’s liberation in the face of a dictatorship and the rigidity of the culture

Sexist tropes: The one where hobbies are gendered

The harm in “gender preference” and how it manifests in socialisation

Emotional Justice

Sexist tropes: The one where “women are women’s worst enemies”

Navigating life as a “strong” and an “angry” black woman

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