I don’t know if you have seen the many memes online

The ones about the lecture from a certain Mummy GO

Every male leader gets asked ‘what motivates you?’

Every female leader gets asked ‘how do you take care of your home?’

As if women do not know about motivation

As if men do not need to worry about their homes too

Anyway, Mummy GO was supposed to be giving advice to young women

Lo and behold

The legend of the ‘One Hour Woman’ was born

According to the advice of Mummy GO

Every working woman has a one hour break

She should use that one hour to dash home and cook for her husband

That is not all

When she is done, she needs to leave a note that reads ‘enjoy your meal”.

Then she can dash back to work and get on with her day

Mummy GO’s instructions sounded literal and not figurative

So, the memes keep coming

Women in smart skirt suits, crip blouses and trousers, cute dresses

They all rush home

in cars

in Ubers

in buses

From point A to point B

They chop onions, fry meat, stir sauce, cook rice and even pound yam

They lovingly set the table with a glass and bottle of water

They grab a pen and paper and leave the note as directed by Mummy GO

‘Enjoy your meal’

Then they dash from point B back to point A

It is not clear where these points are

Marina to Yaba?

Yaba to Agege?

Victoria Island to Okokomaiko?

Ikeja to Mowe?

It doesn’t seem to matter

Every working woman has a one hour break

Every working or non-working man deserves to be fed

And be encouraged to ‘enjoy your meal’

Here I am in New York

Attending the UN General Assembly activities

Listening to the amazing things women are doing all over the world

Let me stick with the African sisters

Those who have done us proud on so many fronts over the years

Women of all ages and callings

Presidents, Directors, Executives, Diplomats, Scholars, Community Leaders

Legacy builders, trail blazers, role models, mentors, sponsors

Mothers, daughters, wives, widows, grandmothers, aunties, sisters

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

Amina Mohammed

Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ndidi Nwuneli

Tandi Makiwane

Abena Busia

Leymah Gbowe

Ahunna Eziakonwa

Ayesha Oyebode

Michelle Ndiaye

Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye

Sara Nyanti

Bineta Diop

Monde Muyangwa

Monica Geingos

Ameenah Fakim-Gurib

Sahle-Work Zewde

There are many more, these are just some of the ones I was in a room with

I am sure they have learnt a lot on their leadership journeys

By now, they know what to expect from men

A Partner – someone to share a life with

A Provider – someone who works hard for the family

and even when provisions are limited or not possible

they can provide peace of mind, support and empathy

A Protector – someone who protects his partner from threats and irritants within and without

These successful women know that cooking, cleaning and gyrating

for a man who is not a partner, provider or protector is a waste of time and energy

They know the difference between a man who sways, strays or stays

So, they did not get to where they are by dashing from Point A to Point B within the hour

Mummy GO

With all due respect

Please apologise to women

This is 2026

We are trying to raise daughters who dream, aspire and achieve

We teach them about mutual respect, dignity and the right to a voice

We work on their self-esteem and confidence

We warn them about those who will drain every last drop of blood from them and never be satisfied

We are trying to raise sons who will be partners, providers and protectors

We teach them about mutual respect, responsibility, support and purpose

We warn them never to abuse, control or disempower

Mummy GO

With all due respect

Our daughters are being brought up to be like the women I mentioned above

Our daughters will not be rushing home during their lunch break to cook

Our sons will not be expecting any such foolishness

Our daughters will be using their break to get something to eat for themselves

Network with colleagues

Connect with their mentors

Talk to their husbands/boyfriends/children over the phone

Read a book or something online

Anything other than dashing off to peel, fry, boil and bake

For all those who organise workshops, seminars and ‘empowerment circles’ for women

Stop wasting time and resources

Please do your due diligence on speakers and mentors

Avoid the patriarchy queens and princesses

Do not provide a platform for the gaslighting of women

Women have suffered enough

Girls are going through too much already

We should stop investing in our own oppression

Even men are laughing at the idea of the ‘One Hour’

Mummy GO

With all due respect

Women will not be running around to cook and leave notes within the hour

You still have an opportunity to assure us

That you really did not mean what you said

It will however not stop the memes

Or the hilarious comments that follow

One of my favourites, ‘My husband will think I put poison in the food if I do that!’

The army of one-hour women shall not be marching anytime soon.Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi is a Gender Specialist, Leadership Coach, Policy Advocate and Writer. She is the Founder of Abovewhispers.com, an online community for women. She can be reached at BAF@abovewhispers.com