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MsAfropolitan

FEMINISM. PAN-AFRICA. SOCIAL CRITICISM. DIASPORA. CULTURE.

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Nigerian feminism – past, present and future perspectives

October 1, 2018 By MsAfropolitan 9 Comments

What is Nigerian feminism? Who does it speak for? Does contemporary Nigerian feminism reflect the realities of all Nigerian women? Does it include the voices and struggles of the masses of women who do not have economic freedom? What are some of the issues Nigerian feminism should include moving forward? In my latest article below,…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: African feminism, Nigeria, women's issues, writing

In order to decolonise democracy, an indigenous economics of language must thrive

May 27, 2018 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

I strongly believe that critical thinking can transform society, so I was captivated when I recently came across the National Policy on Education and discovered that it begins with a section titled “The Philosophy and Goals of Education in Nigeria.” I swooned as I continued to read the sub-section titled, “The Overall Philosophy of Nigeria.”…

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Filed Under: Africa, Social Criticism Tagged With: decolonisation, languages, Nigeria

She Called Me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak

March 13, 2018 By MsAfropolitan 3 Comments

Cassava Republic Press is publishing a new book titled, ‘She Called Me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak’ on 24 April. To commemorate the launch of this ground-breaking collection of first-hand narratives from a cross section of queer Nigerian Women, the publisher has organised a synchronised revealing of the book and its cover (pictured) across several platforms,…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: Cassava Republic, Feminist Books, Nigeria, Nigerian Literature, Queer, Voice

In the age of the internet, there are no excuses for this cultural deficit

December 7, 2016 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

Being Nigerian sometimes feels like constantly inhabiting a dream. You witness a complex and multidimensional culture around you, yet representations of said culture are mostly one-dimensional and cartoon-like, if represented at all.  From a historical perspective you could argue that due to the institutionalised hierarchies in the world, transcending the deficit between lived and portrayed culture…

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Filed Under: Pop Culture, Social Criticism Tagged With: FMIC, Ministry of Culture, Nigeria

Tradition matters for female farmers, and female farmers matter for everything.

October 17, 2016 By MsAfropolitan 1 Comment

Reposting my latest column for The Guardian Nigeria, which was there titled “When it comes to agriculture, we need to talk about tradition”. If you have any thoughts about this, leave a comment. Here’s what I had for breakfast some days ago: Akara and Fura yoghurt. For dinner that same day, I ate pounded yam with Efo…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: agriculture, farming, feminism, food, Nigeria

Nigeria’s Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill – A case for modernity

March 22, 2016 By MsAfropolitan 5 Comments

Last week, the Nigerian senate voted against a Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEO bill) proposed by senator Biodun Olujimi.  While the Nigerian state protects citizens through its constitution, the GEO bill is a complementary protocol for equal rights for women in marriage, divorce, widowhood, property & land ownership and inheritance to name a few things….

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: GenderEquality Bill, GEOBill, Nigeria, Senate

Future Forward – Lights, Camera, Africa Film Festival

September 21, 2015 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

    I’m excited to share that I am a media partner with the Lights, Camera, Africa Film Festival with the theme: Future Forward. The 5th edition of the festival is taking place from 30 September, 2015 to 4 October, 2015 at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria. The aim of the partnership is to expose African and global audiences to quality independent African cinema…

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Filed Under: Africa, Afropolitanism, events Tagged With: African Film, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Lights Camera Africa Film Festival, Nigeria, The Life House

A discussion with Nawal El Saadawi and other upcoming talks

September 1, 2015 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

Next month, I will be in discussion with one of my biggest role models, the renowned Egyptian writer Nawal El Saadawi. The impact El Saadawi has had on my work (and my life!) is profound, I intensely admire her achievements as a writer, intellectual, feminist, philosopher and activist. In fact, I live by one of her wisdoms. She says: “Words should…

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Filed Under: Africa, Decolonisation, events, feminism, Pop Culture Tagged With: African Film, Afroisms, Egypt, Events, Lights Film Africa, Nawal El Saadawi, Nigeria, Norway, Partnerships, Talks, Zed Books

Intellectual development is as important as economic development

June 5, 2015 By MsAfropolitan Leave a Comment

If I could change only one thing when it comes to African affairs, it would be that we focus on intellectual development as much as we focus on economic development. I made this argument, among others, in an interview with Charles Aniagolu on “Talking Africa”, ARISE TV’s weekly programme on current affairs last week. Check it out below….

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Filed Under: Africa, Afropolitanism, Decolonisation, events, feminism, Interviews, Pop Culture, Social Criticism Tagged With: African Union, Arise TV, Charles Aniagolu, Education, Empowerment, Nigeria

Islamophobia in Europe and in Africa should not be conflated

April 4, 2015 By MsAfropolitan 4 Comments

Fifteen years ago, before 9/11, hardly anyone used the term ‘Islamophobia’. Today, the term is used all the time, especially by liberals, but rarely with an accompanying reflection of its corresponding relationship to the ongoing “war against terror”. Islamophobia is discussed as though it appeared out of nowhere. And not, as it were, as a term that firmly…

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Filed Under: Africa, Social Criticism Tagged With: Al-Shabab, boko haram, gallery, International Relations, Islam, Kenya, Nigeria, pan-Africanism, politics, Religion, Terror, war

Citizens and women – two neglected words in Nigeria’s elections

February 9, 2015 By MsAfropolitan 7 Comments

Nigerians have experienced some of the most unstable five years in their country’s history under the rule of President Goodluck Jonathan. Not so much because the problems we face today – such as poor infrastructure, oil corruption and terrorism – have not previously existed but because there is a heightened sense of awareness among citizens, a…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: African feminism, Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, KOWA party, Nigeria, Nigeria elections, Remi Sonaiya, Sarah Jibril

African men, are you still not listening?

November 25, 2014 By MsAfropolitan 4 Comments

Hey, it’s the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence against women is ginormous, ginormous, ginormous. It is so ginormous that the UN says it is a global pandemic. Other examples of global pandemics are Ebola, HIV and Bob Geldof. Due to its enormity I am thinking this post will be about how it is possible that male…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism Tagged With: African feminism, Bill Cosby, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Nigeria

Decolonisation, feminism, blogging, sexuality, poetry…discussion topics with the African Book Review

June 21, 2014 By MsAfropolitan 2 Comments

Sharing a link to an interview of mine posted at the African Book Review earlier this week. We covered a lot: decolonisation, African feminism, blogging, sexuality, poetry and more. I hope you like it, I put a lot into it. Minna Salami: An Interview with the Creator of Ms. Afropolitan Let me know if you have any…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism, Interviews, Social Criticism Tagged With: African Book Review, African feminism, decolonisation, feminism, Nigeria, Poetry, slavery

When it comes to the bride price app there is only one word. No.

June 13, 2014 By MsAfropolitan 16 Comments

This post is inspired by a piece  CNN published on Wednesday about the Nigerian bride price app, an app/quiz which calculates the marital value of a woman by pricing attributes such as her height, weight, beauty, cooking skills, education and dialect. All in jest, yeah, the app, as the site’s disclaimer says is, “a joke, and…

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Filed Under: Africa, feminism, Pop Culture Tagged With: #brideprice, Africa, African feminism, identity, Nigeria, Social Media, women's issues, Young Women

Reading Wole Soyinka’s ‘Of Africa’ in times of Boko Haram

May 16, 2014 By MsAfropolitan 7 Comments

As reckless forces of terror-driven religious fundamentalism ravage Nigeria we would be wise to remember the insights of the ancestors. Unfortunately, as Soyinka argues in his most recent book, Of Africa, Africa as we know it today, “remains the monumental fiction of European creativity” marked by a type of religiosity that is a “destabilising agent”;…

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Filed Under: Africa, Pop Culture Tagged With: African religion, boko haram, gallery, Ifa, Nigeria, terrorism, Wole Soyinka, Yoruba

What makes African women’s art feminist?

November 10, 2013 By MsAfropolitan 6 Comments

It has been said that artistry in Africa is an intrinsic part of life rather than a commercial or careerist enterprise. I’d say that this notion is not only applicable to African art, all across the world art has explored the sensitivities of life and the social environment. However, it is in this process of examining life…

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Filed Under: feminism, Pop Culture Tagged With: African feminism, African women, art, gender, Nigeria, sex, Spirituality

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Feminism. Africa. Popular Culture. Social Criticism.

Hi! I'm Minna Salami, I'm a Nigerian-Finnish and Swedish writer and social critic, and the founder of the multiple award-winning blog, MsAfropolitan, which connects feminism with critical reflections on contemporary culture from an Africa-centred perspective. As a lecturer and keynote speaker, I have spoken at over 300 universities, cultural events and conferences, on five continents. I am the author of "Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone - a collection of thought provoking essays that explore questions central to how we see ourselves, our history, and our world." (Harper Collins US) Read full bio

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An African Feminist mixtape

Essay: Oyalogy – A poetic approach to African feminism through Yoruba mythology

ESSAY: A brief history of African feminism

ESSAY: A brief history of African feminism

VIDEO: TEDxTalk – To change the world, change your illusions

VIDEO: TEDxTalk – To change the world, change your illusions

VIDEO: ARISE TV TALKING AFRICA INTERVIEW

VIDEO: ARISE TV TALKING AFRICA INTERVIEW

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more articles

A Historical Overview of African Feminist Strands

August 24, 2022 By MsAfropolitan 3 Comments

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On Abortion

August 23, 2022 By MsAfropolitan 1 Comment

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