LOUD WHISPERS: Choices
Last week, I had a conversation with a young woman who had just finished reading my autobiography, ‘Speaking Above a Whisper’. She said the chapter that intrigued her the most was the one in which I described some of the influences that shaped my life from an early age. The chapter she was referring to […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Cold, Alone And Forgotten
Years ago, when I was still living in London, I was on an underground train one day with an old black lady. Let me call her Julia. I had at least eight train stops and Julia talked to herself all the way through. She was close enough for me to realise that she was speaking […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Prophecies And Common Sense
At the end of the year or the beginning of a new one, there is usually a torrent of prophecies around the world. Humanity has always expressed a desire to know what the future holds, either out of curiosity or a desire to prepare for the unknown. Every civilization we know of has included those […]
LOUD WHISPERS: As The Year Draws To An End
When I started Above Whispers in February 2016, I made a commitment to write a Loud Whispers article every week. I knew there was no way I could commit to posting something daily on the website, and I did not want something sporadic, so I decided on a weekly column. Even though I love writing, […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Will Human Beings Become ‘Abbies’?
The year is 4028. Planet earth died out 2000 years ago. In the year 2028, a scientist known as Dr David Pilcher gave a presentation at a conference on climate change. His key findings were that humanity would cease to exist in a few centuries time, and unless human beings made the necessary adjustments to […]
Re-Writing Women’s History: Reflections On The Legend Of Moremi
The story of Moremi Ajasoro, a legendary figure from the ancient town of Ile-Ife in South West Nigeria is not one limited to the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Her story is known across the world and in the African Diaspora, a classic tale of bravery and sacrifice for the good of the community. Recently, the […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Efuru@50 And Flora Nwapa’s Feminist Legacy
Let me apologise in advance to anyone reading this, who has not read Flora Nwapa’s book Efuru, or any of her other books. My challenge to you is, after reading this, please look for a copy of Efuru. It is one of the greatest books ever written by an African woman, and it heralded a […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Changing The Story
Mabel is a 42 year old woman. She has a job she loves and is very good at. She is respected by all her colleagues and peers. She has three adorable children, who are all doing well in their respective schools. She is very active in her church, she is a member of two professional […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Thank You Hillary Clinton
I should have known when I went into two wine shops, looking for a half bottle of champagne, with no success. I arrived San Francisco on November 7th, to attend a board meeting at the Global Fund for Women. When the dates were confirmed at our June meeting in New York, I was very pleased […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Endangered Engagements
I had a conversation with a young woman in her late twenties recently, let me call her Jenny. She wanted my advice on her situation with her ‘Fiancé’. They have been together for three years, and even though he has not actually popped the question, he refers to her in public as his ‘fiancée’ and […]
Women Are Their Own Worst Enemy: Ten Ways To Prove This Saying Wrong
Last week I was a Guest Speaker at a workshop in Abuja on Women and Youth in Political Participation. During the discussions that followed, there was a consistent reference to the saying ‘Women are their own worst enemies’, echoed by both male and female participants. From my own experience, I can argue both sides of […]
‘And Then The Women Came’ A Tribute To The African Women’s Development Fund
I have just returned from Accra, Ghana, where I went to attend a panel discussion on African Women and Philanthropy, to mark the 15th anniversary of the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) the first Africa-wide grant making foundation. I co-founded AWDF in 2000 with Joana Foster (Ghana) and Hilda Tadria (Uganda), and we began operations […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Up And Down
Last week was a very interesting one for me. I was in a good mood most of the week, starting from the early hours of Tuesday morning when I stayed up all night to watch the US Presidential Debate. I shouted and hooted in support of Hillary Clinton as she took Donald Trump to the […]
LOUD WHISPERS: The ‘Jewel Of Inestimable Value’
Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo passed away on September 19th2015, just a few weeks shy of being 100 years old. The activities that had been planned for her centenary birthday were turned into a celebration of her glorious life. One of the activities was a Women’s Celebration for Mama, which took place on November […]
LOUD WHISPERS: Feminism 101: Ten Myths About Feminists
I gave a talk at a forum organized recently to address women’s rights issues in Nigeria. After my presentation, a woman walked up to me to thank me for my presentation which she said she enjoyed, and then said, ‘Listening to you, one would think that you are a Feminist’. I stared at her in […]