International Women’s Day: Celebrating the uncelebrated,nameless Nigerian women

Day in day out, women setting the pace are recognised, named and celebrated. Yet, there are hordes of nameless women that are unrecognised.

In the stories of the uncelebrated women lie the true insights into everyday life and struggles that the more celebrated ones might not represent — despite representing female strength and the limit of female capability.

I give it to all the uncelebrated  strong women, who keep their story close to heart. The unrecognised woman. Here is to applauding and relaying their story and celebrating them

The mother, in the face of adversity, protect her family and children, struggling day in day out.

The mother who is now the breadwinner, weakened by shame , yet standing tall for the family is still being beaten by the husband day in day out. Still, she forges on.

I give it to all  the women who choose to stay with abusive partners with everyone urging her to leave forgetting that her support system is weak, without enough to cater for the children. She chooses to stay for the children not wanting them to have a repeat  of her own childhood  experience. She bears  every hurdle and  she is still not broken.

I give it to all the women who choose to leave after having enough from a toxic relationship. Yet people  scorn and question her on  why she would leave “a supposedly amazing partner,”having to start a totally new phase of life with her kids.”

Shoutout to all the  women with scars, who are victims of  failed marriages and survivors of rape, who have experienced so much treachery  in life  yet forge on to turn the lemon life thrown at her to lemonade. She’s so strong, so nameless and yet unbreakable.

We celebrate  the market women, struggling day by day to make ends meet and be the help mate to their husbands, saddled with sadness of how unproductive their days are turning out to be, yet stood tall with a never dying spirit.

I give it to the women living for their husbands,living for their children and constantly blaming themselves when things don’t turn out right. The women who are now empty mirrors of their  youthful days, who have given up their dreams to see to the success of their  families. They are indeed true heroes.

Charms, thumb-printed ballot papers, guns, ballot boxes were recovered during election ― Army

Still celebrating  those nameless women tagged “prostitutes” doing the one thing that could save them  from peril of hardship with people forgetting it wasn’t their  choice, but where they  unfortunately sought solace.”

Let’s not forget the beautiful girl-child who is constantly being  admonished to do right. The girl who has been sexually molested as a child,  full of scars yet no one knows about it. She’s grown older and apparently nothing has changed. She lives in constant fear of her traumatized childhood. Just know you’ll come through.

Recognizing the nameless single mother who got pregnant, chooses to keep the baby, love the child and yet scorned by the society for not being smart and tagged a “Baby Mama.” She  was  mocked and neglected by the parents. Yet, she swore to try hard and give her child a good life.  Her unflinching willpower is charming.

The women who revolted against rape, restricted access to education, female genital mutilation and are working hard to reduce this menace  but are tagged “bitches.” Thanks for not giving in to societal pressure.

I give it to all the  women who  lost their lives during childbirth, forever gone, not having  the opportunity to carry, feed and watch their babies grow.

To the women who  lost their lives  to domestic violence, the women lost to the struggle of unfair human treatment. May their souls rest in peace.

The women who are fighting hard against different terminal diseases ranging from cancer and ailments strictly women related, who are  battling day and night to survive and come through. To those who have survived yet having the painful memories of what happened.

I give kudos to all the women who are not recognised, yet blazing trail In their lives, secretly changing the status quo of how women should be perceived, not giving in to societal constraints.  the boss lady who is stern and uncompromising.

You are all worth more than celebration. Your strength, unflinching willpower, unbreakable faith is second to none.

Taofeekat Adigun writes from University of Ibadan.