International Day of Friendship Growing up, I didn’t have many female friends. I didn’t really understand what it meant to have friends with whom you bonded so closely like sisters. For years, I couldn’t relate when girls were so close and called each other best friends. Today, I am grateful that I get to experience that. When I look at how amazing and strong the female friendship bond is, I wonder why it took so long for me to have this.  My female friends have redefined friendship for me in so many ways. First, they have been so sacrificial and loving. They have gone out of their way to make things easier for me. They have been so supportive of my projects. They’ve been there for me through thick and thin. And although we are not perfect, they never ever have a reason to pick a fight or quarrel with me. My female friends offer counsel when I’m stuck. We pray together when I’m facing challenges or when life gets overwhelming. It’s always good vibes from their end. They have ...

 One of the things I am most emphatic about in my advocacy is the fact that opposing the system of patriarchy is not the same as hating men. always reiterate that saying that the patriarchal system should be eradicated is not an attack on men or the cancellation of men in our society. Opposing the patriarchy doesn’t mean hatred for men. What I am saying is that the system that exalts men and debases women is unfair and should be done away with. Unfortunately, this is not what some men hear when they hear the word patriarchy. The word patriarchy makes them defensive because they think you’re trying to point accusing fingers at them. Allan Johnson said that a lot of people hear “men” whenever someone says patriarchy, so they think when you are criticizing inequality or discrimination, you are saying that all men are trash. This is why many men oppose or resist the feminist movement. It is not surprising because when we talk about women being oppressed, some men think we are just tryi...

 Across many cultures, caregiving is considered to be a feminine or motherly role. Women are usually seen as people who are more empathetic and caring. So, they are expected to care for the children, be supportive of their husbands, show support for other members of the family, plan meals, organize the home, be in charge of weddings, birthdays, and other events especially the hospitality aspect and so on.  Sadly, many people have taken this expectation to the workplace. There, the caregiving role is left for the woman too. Because she’s female, she’s generally expected to remember her coworkers' birthdays, plan company trips, show support to other members of staff, take notes in meetings, and so on. Many times, this workplace caregiving role is carried out in addition to her job description or work responsibilities. This means that she has to work twice as hard, both at work and in the home. This is one of the reasons why many women in the workplace tend to experience burnout ...

 It is not my birthday, or any special event today. Yeah, if you ask me why I am putting this up then, I probably have no particular reason to share with you— it could be to intimate you if you are looking forward to being my friend. Asides that genuine reason, perhaps, a few readings here and there (and a bit of idleness) may have spurred me into putting these together.  So, here goes some personal pieces of information about me. Yay!  1. My name is Roseline Adebimpe Adewuyi. 2. I was born in Jos, the capital city of Plateau State, Nigeria and I have a twin brother. 3. Very few people call me Kehinde; some family members and those who know me from childhood. My parents call me Rose. My twin brother calls me Kehinde. When he calls me that name, it forces me to awaken the twin flame in me. He rarely calls me “Rose” The few times he called me Rose, I know he is up for a serious discussion and mischief. 4. Football is the highlight of my teenage years. I didn’t have female f...

 You need to understand that I am not here to share tips with you on how to cure your skin of acne. I am yet to figure it out. And, as much as seeing those unwanted sprouts on your skin may be irritating and frustrating, you, like I am trying to do constantly, have to figure a way to accept that they are a part of you, and when they break out, you may have no choice but to let them take their course. Why? They do not make you any less beautiful, even if that is how you believe they make you feel. When I saw Tolulope Solutions' vlog some months ago about her struggles with acne, her experience resonated with me. She spoke about her appreciating those who had been giving her recommendations and she hoped she would continue to lumber on, until she gets her desired results. I am sure some would think that she is not making efforts. Meanwhile, she has tried a lot of products, and she has had to become picky eventually to avoid damaging her skin any more. I recalled she mentioned that re...

 I worked in Algeria for 18 months and I would say from my lens, I love how fatherhood is practiced. A male friend of mine who shares a similar perspective wrote an article on this. It is indeed a great read.  In a modern society where literally everything is fast-paced and success is usually measured by how much wealth or material possession we have, it is easy to neglect our role and duty towards the family with the wrong impression that money can compensate for everything. Thereby turning us, especially fathers, into money chasing robots too exhausted to tolerate even the laughter of a child when we get back home. As a Nigerian, It was common practice for children to have minimal contact with their fathers while growing up. This trend continued until the children learnt how to get by without the presence of their fathers. This seemed to be a much favoured approach for most families where the father seemed like this unapproachable figure that must not be disturbed for trivia...

 Until recently, many people didn’t see STEM as a field that women should venture into. Many women who loved science, mathematics or dared to think about technology were seen as unusual or an outcast. In some extreme cases, they were called witches and burned. As the years went by, people subtly sought ways to discourage their girls from studying science. They felt that women were too fragile to concern themselves with such things. Today, the narrative has changed a great deal and more women are exploring the field of STEM and navigating it with so much passion and excellence. Despite the changing narrative, there are still a good number of people who feel like women shouldn’t be in STEM and so there’s still a huge gender gap in STEM. It’s because of this that I love to shed my spotlight on women in STEM who are breaking barriers and achieving amazing things. Today, we will be chatting with an amazing feminist woman in STEM, Oluwasennla Adelusi, a Materials, and metallurgical Engin...