Speaking

For bookings, please use the contact form or email msafropolitan@gmail.com.

For past events, scroll down.

Speaker Bio

As a lecturer and keynote speaker, Minna has spoken at hundreds of universities, cultural events and conferences, on five continents. She has presented talks at some of the world’s most prominent institutions such as the UN, EU, The Oxford Union, The Cambridge Union and The Singularity University at NASA, and discussed #MeToo with Germaine Greer, Afropolitanism with Paul Gilroy and global feminism with Nawal El Saadawi. She has consulted governments on gender equality and she has curated events at The Victoria & Albert Museum in London. She is a guest commentator on the BBC, SKY, Al Jazeera and Channel 4. Minna has spoken at events in Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, China, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Gambia, The Netherlands, The UAE, The UK, and The USA. 

Keynote Talks include:

• “Why we need global and conscientious feminism” – The European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium.
• “The Key Global Gender Issues” – Singularity University at NASA, San Jose, USA.
• “Blue is a Feminine Colour in Africa” – African Studies Association, Atlanta, USA.
• “Female Public Intellectuals in the 21st century – Perils and Promises”, University of Azores.
• “Global Feminism – The Journey Ahead” – Womankind UK
• “The Future of Feminism”, Feminist Association Unioni 125th anniversary celebration, Helsinki, Finland.
•  “The Avant-Garde In The Periphery”, Oslo World Music Festival, Oslo, Norway.
• “African women’s Liberation – What is the Role of Public Opinion?”, Birmingham Centre for Media and Culture Research (BCMCR), Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK.
• “Reflections on the Word ‘Global’ From a Decolonial Feminist Perspective”, Fuchsbau Festival, Hannover, Germany.
• “The Power of Ideas”, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
• “An African Feminist Perspective” – Duke University, North Carolina, USA.
• “Reclaiming our Power: African Women and Feminism”, The University of the West Indies at Mona, Kingston, Jamaica.
• “Breaking Out of the Mould: Why Nigerian women should be feminist”, GFC Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria.
• “How Blogging and Social Media Can Make A Difference”, PING Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
• “Why We Need an African Feminist Revolution” – University of Colorado Boulder, Denver, Colorado, USA.
• “Twenty Years After Beijing: What’s Changed And What’s The Same?” Friends of Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
• “Why The Cake Cries – On Swedish Politicians And FGM” – University of Northampton, London, UK.
• “African Women Rising In Media And Tech” – Girl Hub, Lagos, Nigeria.

Testimonials:

Minna’s talk was mesmerizing – a deeply personal and revelatory story, yet also the story of women everywhere; an account of a uniquely African vision of womanhood as well as a telling that makes it an inspirational model for women everywhere. I was also impressed that it was solidly academic as well as literary and memoir-esque (to invent a term).

Laura Grillo, Historian, Georgetown University.

Working across and blending multi-genres such as orature and memoir, using radical feminist, global African and Marxist theories, at once poetic and philosophical, Minna Salami is one of the most arresting voices speaking to our times.

Mukoma Wa Ngugi Associate Professor of English, Cornell University and Writer

Minna Salami gave an excellent talk at the Annual African Studies Association Women’s Caucus Luncheon in December 2018. It was gripping and honest; it traversed multiple disciplines and strategic approaches to highlight how gender is a social construct. She blended history, gender studies, African feminist epistemologies, mythologies, and personal anecdotes to paint vibrant and colorful imageries. We all came away understanding both the ways in which gender norms in Africa are more and less constricting than is generally believed. Minna is a passionate speaker, and she had us on the edge of our seats, fostering a sense of (African) feminist camaraderie throughout the room. Members of the audience flooded our emails with praise for her talk. The ASA Women’s Caucus organization received many compliments about her talk and we could not have been more pleased, or prouder, to have had Minna, a fellow African feminist sister, and colleague, on the stage of the annual African Studies Association conference.

Jacqueline-Bethel Tchouta Mougoué, African Studies Association Women’s Caucus Co-Convenor, 2017-2019, Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality in African Cultural Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States

Minna Salami is definitely an inspiring voice for diverse feminism in the 21st century.

Esmeralda de Rethy, princess of Belgium.

Minna Salami, a 21st century feminist leader: inspiring, challenging, empathetic, courageous and unique.

Daniela Pichler, Policy and Campaigns Director, European Women’s Lobby

PAST TALKS AND DEBATES

2019

• • February 9: The Asmara-Addis Festival (In Exile), Why Women-Identified-Women’s Voices Are Necessary, Speaker, Bozar, Brussels, Belgium.
  • March 8: International Women’s Day, Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate For Change, Panelist, UN WFP, Rome, Italy.
  • March 21: Afropean Bridges, Disempowering Representations, Speaker, University Ca Foscari, Venice, Italy.
  • April 6: African Feminist Initiative conference on African feminist histories, Teaching to Empower, panelist, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, US
  • April 18: Book launch of Inua Ellams’s book “The Half God of Rainfall”, Speaker, London, UK.
  • April 23: The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones Gower St., Host, London, UK.
  • May 1: SOAS Development panel, speaker. London, UK.
  • May 21: The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones Gower St., Host, London, UK.
  • May 23: Sisterhood and Solidarity: Can we achieve gender equality with an unequal global movement?, Panelist, London, UK.
  • May 26: How the Light Gets In Festival, The Equality Puzzle, Panelist, Hay, UK.
  • May 27: How the Light Gets In Festival, Imagining the World, Panelist, Hay, UK.
  • May 27: How the Light Gets In Festival, Sex, Power & Influence, Panelist, Hay, UK.
  • May 28: University of Bristol, Feminist Writers Talk Back!, panelist, Bristol, UK.
  • June 5: SOAS Development panel, speaker. London, UK.
  • June 18: The MsAfropolitan Philosophy Book Club @ Waterstones Gower St., Host, London, UK.
  • June 20: Womankind 30th Birthday Party. Keynote Speaker. London, UK.
  • June 21: Afropean Symposium, Keynote Speaker, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
  • September 21: HowTheLightGetsIn Festival, Popularity and Prejudice, Panelist, London, UK.
  • September 22: HowTheLightGetsIn Festival Victims and Warriors, Panelist, London, UK.
  • September 26: International Seminar, Female public intellectuals: critical thinking and social activism, Representations of Knowledge: The perils and promises of the female public intellectual in the twenty-first century. Keynote Speaker, Portugal.
  • October 12: Tortoise Media, #MeToo: where next for the movement that shook the world? Speaker, London, UK.
  • October 16: Identity Politics and Liberation Struggle. Lecturer, Southbank University, London, UK.
  • November 2: FETT Anniversary, New Challenges for Feminism, Speaker and Panelist, Oslo, Norway.
  • November 16: LEFFEST’19, Resistance Symposium , Speaker, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • November 18: TIME’S UP, Speaker, London, UK.
  • November 20: University of Granada, Black Feminisms Lecture, Speaker, Granada, Spain.
  • November 28: Race, Sex and Class. Keynote Speaker, Women’s Resource Centre, London, UK.
  • December 11: Black Feminisms: Past and Future, Lecturer, University of Seville, Spain.

2018

• • February 20: Oxford University, In Conversation with Minna Salami, Oxford, UK.
  • March 3: Cinemafrica Film Festival, Speaker, Umeå, Sweden.
  • March 13 – 16: The Government of Bermuda, A Series of Talks on Gender Equality, Speaker, Hamilton, Bermuda.
  • April 8 – 12: CultureSummit 2018, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
  • April 18: The Future of Finance West Africa, Keynote Speaker, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • April 18 – 22: Karmala Cultura, Speaker, La Palma, Spain.
  • April 26 – 28: Interkontinental, Writing in Migration, Panelist, Berlin, Germany.
  • May 15 – 17: Africa Business Day, Speaker, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
  • May 23- 24: Mind The Gap, Keynote Speaker, Oslo, Norway.
  • June 7: European Women’s Lobby Women’s Forum “Women ReShaping Power in Europe”, Speaker, European Parliament, Brussels.
  • June 10: Head to Head with Mehdi Hassan and Germaine Greer at The Oxford Union, Panelist, Oxford, UK.
  • June 13: Look Out! Speaker, Southampton, UK.
  • June 21: Wax Print Film Premiere, Panelist, London, UK.
  • June 30: AFROLUTION 2018 Literature & Arts festival, Speaker, Berlin, Germany.
  • July 7: Cultural Compounds Symposium, Panelist, London, UK.
  • July 9 -10: EurAfrican Forum, Speaker, Cascais, Portugal.
  • July 26:  ‘In Conversation’ with Kehinde Andrews, book launch “Back to Black: Retelling Black Radicalism for the Twenty-First Century”, London, UK. 
  • August 24 – 25: Oslo Afro Arts, Speaker, Oslo, Norway.
  • October 4: The Big Debate 2018, Closing the Gap, How can gender equality be achieved in Africa?, Panelist, City Hall, London, UK.
  • October 18: Cambridge Union Society Debate ‘This House Believes #MeToo Has Failed”, Speaker, Cambridge, UK.
  • November 6: Kamal Ahmed book launch, The Life and Times of a Very BritishMan (Bloomsbury), In Conversation, Waterstones, London, UK.
  • November 14 – 21: Women of the World Brazil, Speaker, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
  • November 29 – December 1: African Studies Association, Keynote Speaker, US.

2017

• • January 25: SOAS Careers Day, Speaker, London, UK.
  • February 7: Groovalicious Symposium, Keynote Speaker, Brussels, Belgium.
  • March 25: Georgetown University, BRAVE Summit 2017, “BreakingTheInternet”, Speaker, Washington D.C., USA.
  • April 9 – 13: Culture Summit 2017, Speaker, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  • April 15 -16: Yale University, African Peace and Development conference, “The Afropolitan and Pop Culture” Panelist Speaker, Connecticut, USA.
  • May 31: The Power of Communication (PRCA), “The Future of the Media Landscape”, Speaker, London, UK.
  • June 8: Oxford Union, “This House Believes Feminist Movements Disregard Minority Women”, Speaker in Proposition, Oxford, UK.
  • July 27: Birmingham University, “African Women in Media (UK)”, Keynote Speaker, Birmingham, UK.
  • August 12: Fuchsbau Festival, “Reflections on the Word ‘Global’ From a Decolonial and Feminist Perspective”, Keynote Speaker, Hannover, Germany.
  • September 23: She Leads Africa, MsAfropolitan: African Women Taking Space in Blogging and Media”, Speaker, London, UK.
  • September 29: Feminist Association Unioni 125th anniversary celebration, “The Future of Feminism”, Keynote Speaker, Helsinki, Finland.
  • October 12: Presidency of the EU and Friends of Europe, “State of Europe high-level roundtable “People Power Change: Democracy for a new era”, discussant, Brussels, Belgium.
  • October 31: Oslo World Music Festival, “The importance of talking about avant-garde art”, Keynote Speaker, Oslo, Norway.
  • November 5: Oslo World Music Festival, “Afro- Futurism”, Panelist Speaker, Oslo, Norway.
  • November 25: Contemporary African Arts festival at SOAS University, “Black Feminism unpanel”, Speaker, London, UK.

2016

• • CinemAfrica 2016 – February – “Portrayals of African Women In Media”, Panelist, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • GFC International Women’s Day Talk – March – Keynote Speaker, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Xavier University – April – African Student Association 10th Gala Anniversary – Keynote Speaker – Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
  • Duke University – April – Keynote Speaker, North Carolina, USA.
  • PING Helsinki – May – Keynote Speaker, Helsinki, Finland.
  • Africa Day Panel – May – Women’s Liberation and Men’s Place in it. London, UK.
  • The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica – June – Keynote Speaker, Kingston, Jamaica.
  • Stories of Each Other – The Free Word Centre – June – Speaker, London, UK.
  • Singularity University Global Solutions Program – July – Speaker, Mountain view California, USA.
  • MAIN Festival – September – Speaker, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Chicas Poderosas – October – Speaker, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • Royal Exchange Theatre, The Birth Debate – October – Speaker, Manchester, UK.
  • Hong Kong Baptist University – October & November – Guest Lecturer, International Writers’ Workshop Fellow, Hong Kong.

2015

• • Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Warrior Poets – A Litany for Survival — January – Performer – Brussels, Belgium.
  • CCADI, Weeksville Heritage Center Brooklyn, After Afropolitan – February – Speaker – New York, USA.
  • SOAS University, ‘Dismantling Patriarchy’, part of the Royal African Society’s How to Fix Nigeria series – April – Panelist – London, UK.
  • Digital Women UK – How to write an opinion blog masterclass – April -London, UK.
  • Trinity College Dublin Africa Day – May – Speaker – Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
  • European Development Days (EDD) – Friends of Europe – June – Keynote Address – WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT – Twenty years after Beijing: what’s changed and what’s the same?, Brussels, Belgium.
  • University of Cambridge, Africa Together  – June – Moderator – Arts, Culture and Heritage panel, Cambridge, UK.
  • FORWARD UK – July – Speaker – Communications for social change in Africa. London, UK.
  • Busseywood – September – Speaker – Afroisms. London, UK.
  • London South Bank Centre, Africa Utopia – September – Speaker – London, UK.
  • Lights Camera Africa Film Festival- October – Art for Art Panel Discussion, – Speaker – Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Warwick University – October – Black History Month, Talk topic TBC, Warwick, UK.
  • Waterstone’s Piccadilly – October. Conversation with Nawal El Saadawi. London, UK.
  • Africa Day 2015 – November – On Afropolitanism Panel Discussion – Speaker – Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • Richard Bourne book launch – November – Nigeria Panel Discussion – Speaker – London, UK.
  • Verden i Bergen Literature Festival – November – African Feminism vs. Western Feminism – Talk –  Bergen, Norway.
  • Prince Claus Awards Ceremony – December – Guest – Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • University of Colorado Boulder – December – Keynote Speaker – Why We Need an African Feminist Revolution – Denver, Colorado, USA.

2014

• • Anti-racist Fim Festival, ‘Concerning Violence’ panel discussion – November, Malmo, Sweden
  • University of The Arts London African Caribbean Society – November – Representations of Beauty. Panelist. London, UK.
  • University of Oldenburg – November – Introduction to African Feminism. Lecturer, Oldenburg, Germany.
  • TEDxBrixton – October – Speaker, London, UK.
  • Afropea now! – September – Speaker, Linz, Austria
  • Digital Women,- September –Blogging for Impact with Minna Salami (Masterclass) London, UK.
  • Media Diversified –  September – Speaker, Complicit No More, London, UK.
  • International Women’s Initiative –  September – Speaker, Diversity Discussions, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
  • Adult Sex Education ‘Adventures’ June – Google Hangouts – Panelist.
  • Adult Sex Ed Month June- #SexTalkNaija Twitter Chat-  Lead Discussant.
  • Ethical Fashion Initiative of the UN’s ITC – June- Guest – Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Women of West Africa Entrepreneurship Conference (WOWE)– June – Speaker – “Entering new markets with online solutions”, Lagos, Nigeria.
  • ARISE LIVE – May – This Day Live – Guest – London, UK.
  • BBC World Service Weekend – May – Discussion on Nigerian politics–  Guest, London, UK.
  • BBC World News – May – World Have Your Say – How to stop Nigerian Militants – London, May 2014 – Guest, London, UK.
  • BBC World Service April – World Have Your Say – Nigeria Million Woman March #BringBackOurGirls –London, UK.
  • Hysteria – April – Speaker – “African feminism and the Digital Wave”, London, UK.
  • Colourful Radio– April, Discussion on Religion, Gender & Politics- London,  Guest, London, UK.
  • Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Development for Democratisation (WELDD) – March – Workshop Leader – “Communication as a tool for activism”, Banjul, Gambia.
  • SOAS University – March – Speaker – “Creative Africa: Designing a New Africa”, London, UK.
  • Women of the World (WOW)– March – Mentor, London, UK.
  • CNN Leading Women – March “How can women change the world?” tweet chat, London, UK.
  • Rivington Place – February – Speaker – “Africa Rising or Africa Exploited”, London, UK.
  • Social Media Week, February  – Keynote Speaker – “African Women rising in media and tech”, Lagos, Nigeria.

2013

• • University of Westminster – March 2013 – Visiting Lecturer MA students-  “Social Media, Blogging and the Internet for minorities”
  • Goldsmith’s University – March 2013 – “What is African feminism?”
  • FRIDA – Female Revolution in Dance & Art – March 2013 – Co-host & Media Partner 
  • Aktuellt, Stockholm – April, 2013 – “Interview – rectifying perceptions on African Women“
  •  Liljevalch’s Museum, Africa is a Great Country exhibition Stockholm – April, 2013 – “Images of African Women“
  • African Union (AU) Conference on Women Stakeholders on Pan Africanism, Renaissance and Agenda 2063, Addis Ababa – May 2013 – Speaker – “Pan Africanism and Renaissance: Situating African Women in the Debate past and present
  • Women 4 Africa Awards, London – May, 2013
  • New York Forum Africa – Gabon – June 2013 – Speaker – “Media and Entertainment”
  • The I’mPOSSIBLE conversation, London, June, 2013 – Speaker – “How I became possible”
  • NCWS Diaspora, London, July, 2013 – Speaker – “A holistic view on empowerment”
  • Royal African Society, Africa Writes, London, UK, July, 2013 – Speaker – ” Fantasy or Reality? Afropolitan Narratives of the 21^st Century”
  • FORWARD UK Conference, Mobilising African women in the diaspora –  London – July 2013 – Speaker – “African women in the Diaspora: where do we fit in the AWD agenda?“
  • BBC Africa “World Have Your Say” –  London, UK – July 2013 – Guest- “Does Feminism have a PR problem“ • Prominent women in Africa –  Johannesburg, South Africa – September 2013 – Speaker – “In praise of disobedience”
  • Digital Women, London, UK – September, 2013 – Speaker – “My digital journey“
  • BBC London Radio “Dotun Adebayo on Sunday” –  London, UK – August 2013 – Guest- “Depictions of black women in the media“
  • Women’s Forum, Deauville – October, 2013 – Speaker – “The competition factor among women“
  • African Global Women in Business Forum, London – October, 2013 – Advisory board Member + Speaker – “The Role of the Media in African Business Women Reportage”
  • Humboldt University  – Berlin, Germany – November- Guest Lecturer – “African Feminisms”
  • MEDAYS by The Amadeus Institute – Rabat, Morocco – November – Speaker –  “Women and leadership“
  • The Writing Platform, London, UK – November, 2013 – Speaker – “Getting noticed in the digital age“
  • One World Media Festival –  University College London (UCL), London, UK – November 2013 – Panelist – “The Challenges of Reflecting a New Africa”
  • University of Berlin  – Africa Guest Lectures – Berlin, Germany – December – Speaker – “Women in Revolution: Political Leadership in Africa”

2012

• • Words of Colour, London 2012 “Have women got twitter clout?”
  • Southbank Centre – Africa Utopia 2012 – “Women, Inspiration & Leadership“
  • Southbank Centre – WOW – Women of the World 2012 – “What can African feminists teach their western counterparts?”
  • BE.Bop 2012. Black Europe Body Politics, 2012. Berlin, Germany “Fashioning an African century”
  • Dialogue for Action Africa, 2012.  Libreville, Gabon
  • (Keynote) University of Northampton, Padare Conference, 2012. “Why the cake cries”
  • OpenForum 2012, South Africa – “African feminists organising online“
  • YouthSummit 2012 participant, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Damate, The Mother Earth Project Launch, London 2012, “Seven ways to love yourself more“
  • VoxAfrica 2012 – Shoot the Messenger “African feminism today“
  • TVO Canada 2012 – “The Future of Feminism“

2011

• • V&A Museum 2011,  “What is an Afropolitan?”
  • Southbank Centre – WOW – Women of the World 2011
  • University of Warwick, Global Feminism Symposium, 2011. “African feminist concerns”
  • Africa Fashion Guide Book Launch at the Africa Centre, 2011. “Contemporary African fashion“
  • Panelist – Inspirational Nigerians at Africa Rocks Expo, London, 2011.
  • The First Lady – London, “How to succeed online“
  • London Poetry Café – African Writer’s Evening, Host – “African Writer’s Evening – Sefi Atta“
  • London Poetry Café – African Writer’s Evening, Host – “African Writer’s Evening – Sefi Atta“