I grew up as the first daughter of Archbishops Margaret and Benson Idahosa in Nigeria and right from the beginning, I knew I had what many referred to as a “stubborn,” “rebellious,” although I preferred to refer to it as an “unconventional” streak. When my father gave us, at the…

Joy was born and raised in my home town, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Her childhood was marred by childhood violence, poverty and scarcity, which led to her being trafficked from Benin City to war-torn Libya in 2019. There, she was imprisoned, severally raped, beaten, starved and tortured. Left for…

⁣The first time I took scissors to shave off some of my hair, I was 10. Safely in boarding school, I was away from the thunderous echo of my father’s voice and the security of my mother, @margaretidahosa’s plea for mercy.⁣ ⁣ I shaved it, not because anyone else was doing so…

Delivered at Intersections International’s ‘Keep The Faith: A Global Perspective on Women’s Voices’ Conference. December 8–9, 2020. It is my absolute pleasure to be able to be here with you today to share a little about how hope and healing have been instrumental in my life and in our work over the past 10 months. When people ask me what I do, I often say that I…

⁣ ⁣ ⁣Resilient.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It is how they describe us. The African woman. Because even bearing the weight of the world on her back, still she will rise.⁣⁣ ⁣ Absorbing the tread marks of rape and slavery, still she will rise.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Choked by the hands of patriarchy, yet she will rise.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The bodies of…

I’ve had many people in my life tell me that they “don’t know what to give someone who has everything.” ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ As a result, they choose to give nothing. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ First of all, no one has everything. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Secondly, and more importantly, well thought out gestures of love mean the world to people…

I had just heard his resounding voice a few days ago. He had called to wish me a happy 24th birthday and promised to make it to my graduation from law school. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Four days later, he was telling his wife that all that God had given him to do, he…

A Reflection at the Onset of COVID-19 ⁣ It’s Raining⁣ ⁣ It’s raining…on the just and the unjust.⁣ ⁣ As every day of the pandemic passes, the numbers- of those who are sick, those who have passed, those who have lost loved ones, those who are suffering- continue to rise. ⁣…

See me, see you.⁣ Yes, I am a woman, but see you.⁣ See me, see your mother.⁣ See me, see your sister.⁣ See your daughter, see your wife.⁣ ⁣ When you hurt me, call me bitch and whore, you degrade your mother. When you objectify me, rape me, defame me, you subjugate your sister.⁣ ⁣ See me, see…