#FemLab’s Feminism Friday Radio Show: The Journey So Far ...

In July 2020, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria initiated the ‘Feminism Lab’, to understand the narratives of feminism within the bigger picture of gender equality and promote a political and progressive understanding and practice of feminism in Nigeria. The ‘FemLab’ brought about 15 Nigerian feminists–across generations and gender–together to brainstorm and plan actions that could increase knowledge and understanding of feminism in Nigeria, while correcting its misconceptions.

After six introductory and thought sharing sessions in 2021, core group members of the FemLab launched the ‘Feminism Friday’ radio project on May 7th, 2021. The one-hour radio discussion informs and enlightens the public on feminism discourses and practices in the society. The show airs on the Human Rights Radio 101.1 Abuja FM every Friday from 8pm – 9pm.

The debut episode had guest, Buky Williams, Executive Director of Education as a Vaccine (EVA) introduce the primary tenets of feminism in an attempt to demystify the misconstrued term. In episode two, Esther Eghobamien-Mshelia of Women Arise Development and Humanitarian Initiative (WADHI) discussed the proposed bill to increase women political participation in Nigeria. The third episode saw Godwin Odo, a Gender Expert and Consultant at UNICEF, buttress the topic of equal citizenship as regards the Nigeria Constitution and women’s rights. For the fourth episode, Dr Tunde Akanni, Associate Professor of Journalism at the Lagos State University (LASU), examined the representation of women in the media.

Stay tuned for more updates from the FemLab group.