Written by Miracle Okah Reader discretion is advised. This piece contains references to sexual violence and trauma. You are seated among the rest of the family at your father’s funeral. When your mother called you for the first time in sixteen years to tell you he was dead, you said nothing. You didn’t even know she had your phone number. She sobbed quietly over the phone, as if she didn’t want to offend you. Then she asked, “Will you come?” …
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Written by Idayat Jinadu A few months back, I needed to get some beads as I was learning how to make bead bags. I knew a woman at the market who sold accessories, and I was …
Written by Nobuhle . N Nyoni Sphe woke up that Monday feeling uneasy. If she could, she would skip everything else and head straight to school, but personal hygiene is a thing. She rushed through all …
Age is just a number — or is it? Relationship age gaps in African society have always been accepted — when it’s an older man and younger woman dynamic. We see parents urging their daughters to …
You have just returned from the market with a basket of fruits and vegetables. You go to the chapel where your neighbour, a widow in her 80s, often spends the rest of her days in prayers; …
Written by Mercy Williams The first time I said “Fuck!” and meant it was in 2021. I was in my mid-twenties and I was raging. My head was pressed against the cold wall of my room …
Written by Nobuhle . N Nyoni “What are you sorry for, Dad? For barely taking the time out to get to know me as your daughter or for breaking Mom’s heart? I have tried to do …
Written by T.O. When I decided to become celibate, it was simply because my PCOS had been driving me crazy in my relationship at the time. I had just been diagnosed, and I would have crazy …
Written by Nobuhle . N Nyoni After Ropa left Sphe’s house, they never talked about their sexual encounter. They both felt the shift in their relationship but didn’t know if it was worth the conversation, so …
Sexuality and sexual expression have generally been taboo topics for African women. With the rise of feminism, more women are realising that purity culture is deeply rooted in misogyny since it only applies to women. Consequently, …
Written by Miracle Okah A few months ago, I came across a tweet asking why it seems like the marriages of our parents and older generations lasted longer than today’s. To be honest, it’s a valid …