As told to Mariam  During my first week at Zikoko, I wanted to write an article on how body dysmorphia affects women. I made a call for women to share their stories with me and Fisayo* messaged me. I eventually found that a similar article had been written but the conversation I had with them […]

We can all agree that adulting is a scam. With the never-ending bills and responsibilities, we almost never have time for ourselves. So, for this article, we asked eleven African women what they would say to their 16-year-old self about growing up if they could go back in time Alex, 25 You are not as […]

The subject of this week’s What She Said is Karo Omu, a 29-year-old Nigerian woman and mother. She talks about almost having a miscarriage when she was five weeks pregnant, liking her daughter and the importance of giving women enough information about reproductive health.

Being a first daughter in African homes is a different kind of pressure, responsibility and work. These twenty African women share what being a first daughter is like. Anna, 22 From a young age, I was expected to take care of my siblings while receiving no care or attention from my parents at all. I […]

As told to Mariam Last week, I asked women who have received marriage proposals to share what theirs was like — did they like it or not? I had a lot of entries but one stood out to me. Tomi* wasn’t sure if she had been proposed to or not because the first words her […]

Have you ever wondered why and how some women become side chicks? If they regret it or how they felt when they found out? Well, these twelve Nigerian women share their experience as side chicks. Amaka, 27 I was 21 and had just gotten out of University. I met him at my best friend’s party […]

Every year since you were born, you have experienced a Valentine’s day. Some might be good, some bad, but one always stands out. These seven women tell us about the best Valentine’s day they have ever had. Ada, 33 I went into labour on the 13th of February. I had given birth before, but it […]

Motherhood is a plethora of experiences including listening to your kids say the darndest things. In this article, 5 Nigerian mums tell us the most interesting things their child has ever said to them.  Adesuwa, 27 My daughter is three years old. One morning, someone in the house asked how was her night after she […]

The last time I went down a google rabbit hole, it led to me discovering and renaming some very interesting sex positions. Now, I found very interesting beauty products while stuck in another google rabbit hole, and I will rename them and guess what they actually do. 1) The many faced brush Why? Are you […]

Is it possible to regret something that you have been taught should be the “best decision of your life”? Yes, and these five Nigerian women share why they regret getting married. Anita, 27 He lied about everything. About his extended family, his job, his entire life was basically a lie. I only found out after […]

For Nigerian women who want to get married, there are certain expectations of how their proposal should go. For some, it should be an intimate experience to connect with their partner and for others, they don’t mind fanfare. In this article, we asked five Nigerian women what they really thought about their proposals.  Omoye, 27  […]

This week’s What She Said is a 26-year-old woman. She talks about losing her mum, feeling alienated by her sisters because they just didn’t understand her, and how being the last child made her dad’s drinking problem her responsibility. Let’s start from the beginning. I have strong memories from when I was two till when […]

With Valentine’s Day drawing closer and people planning how to spend the day and with whom, we asked six Nigerian women to tell us about the most romantic thing their partner has done for them. Consider this as a guide if you still don’t know what to get your partner.  Gimbs, 29  Just like most […]

From hostile in-laws to spiteful ex-wives, these four Nigerian women share their various experiences as stepmothers. Atinuke, 30 Getting married at 27 is one of my greatest regrets. Not because my partner is awful, I just didn’t give myself enough time to discover myself before I walked down the aisle. Six months after I got […]

Jealousy is a feeling of bitterness or resentment as a result of someone having something you desire. Like other human feelings, jealousy is also a part of interpersonal relationships. In this article, we asked eight Nigerian women to share what it felt like to be jealous of their friends and what they did about it.  […]

Usually the side effects of birth control pills last for a few months, but here are six side effects we would rather not have to deal with for even a day. 1) Weight gain Weight gain is a very common symptom of pregnancy. Why then will I be taking birth control and also be experiencing […]

Different women have different definitions of cheating. For some, it is more emotional than physical. These eight Nigerian women define cheating for us. Zainab, 19 I don’t think I have a definition of cheating. Physical activities are physical, and I cannot stop you from hanging out with someone even if they like you or you […]

The subject of this week’s What She Said is a 40-year-old woman. She talks about losing custody of her kids after an abusive marriage, travelling the world and how her dad’s love for food led her to start a confectionery company. If someone was meeting you for the first time, what would you tell them […]

Have you ever been to a hairdresser’s and had such a terrible experience you swore to never do it again? (You went back there in two weeks). Well, us too. So, here are a list of things we hope hairdressers can stop doing. 1) Lying Hairdressers will tell you they can make the exact hairstyle […]

With all the hormones flying about during pregnancy, it is no surprise that pregnant women end up doing some very funny things. So, we asked people to share the funniest experiences they have had pregnant, and those they have witnessed. Odion, 56 One day while I was pregnant I had this sudden urge to lick […]

The subject of this week’s What She Said is a 55-year-old Nigerian woman who is a Christian and a feminist. She talks about how discriminatory experiences as a female worker in church made her change churches and how she became a feminist.

FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is also known as female circumcision and it is the cutting of some or all of the external female genitalia. It has been criminalized in some countries, but not all. Unfortunately, there have been millions of women who have been victims of this act. Six African women talk about their experience […]

The subject of this week’s What She Said is Ijeoma Ogwuegbu, a Nigerian woman who was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a condition that causes widespread pain all over the body. She talks about how difficult it was to get a diagnosis, coping with it while raising three children and how music helps her escape.

When it comes to period products, there are a lot of things that need to change. A lot. So, we made a list with the help of the people of Twitter 1) Price They are too expensive. Period products should be free, because nobody chose to have their period. These products are essential, and nobody […]