Climate Change, Reproductive Choices, and the Voices We Must Listen To

Woman Tending to Her Farm. Credit: MSI Reproductive Choices

By Florence Shadrack

On 25 June 2026, I represented Shades of Us at a webinar titled Women's Voices on Climate Resilience and Reproductive Choices, hosted by Anissa Portalima, Global Director of the Evidence and Impact Team at MSI Reproductive Choices. The webinar marked the launch of a new multi-country qualitative study conducted by MSI Reproductive Choices, YLabs, and their partners to better understand how climate change is affecting women's sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

My Reflections on the NGO/CSW Meeting on Women's Access to Justice

 
By Florence Shadrack

Before attending the Non-Governmental Organization Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW/NY) June Monthly Meeting on Women's Access to Justice: Youth Leaders in Action, I viewed access to justice mainly through the lens of laws and policies. However, as I listened to the speakers share their experiences and perspectives, I realized that justice goes far beyond legal systems.

A Massive Shortage of Midwives is Costing the World 4.3 Million Lives a Year

A Rwandan midwife explaining to a postpartum woman how to better position her baby for breastfeeding. Credit: Photographed by Jacques Nkinzingabo for the International Confederation of Midwives.

By The International Confederation of Midwives.

A new peer-reviewed study says that midwifery-led care is not a policy option, but instead an evidence-based requirement to prevent millions of unnecessary deaths. This week in Lisbon, thousands of midwives will gather to demand action. 

Break the Silence About Menstruation

Group Photo of Tabitha Empowerment Centre (TEC), Shades of Us, Shield Them, SuS Pads, Women Community in Africa, Tabitha Empowerment Centre Girls Vanguards, and Teachers and Students of LEA Kpeyegyi, Abuja

By Florence Shadrack and Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On June 2, 2026, we partnered with Tabitha Empowerment Centre (TEC), Shield Them, SuS Pads, Women Community in Africa, and Tabitha Empowerment Centre Girls Vanguards to commemorate World Menstrual Hygiene Day at the Local Education Authority (LEA) School in Kpeyegyi, Abuja. This was supported by the Office of the Pioneer Mandate Secretary for Women and Children, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat (FCT WAS). 

The Work That Doesn’t Count

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

By Florence Shadrack

I woke up before the first light touched the windows.

For a moment, I didn’t move.

I just listened.

Pipes Above, Thirst Below

Photo by Jouni Rajala on Unsplash

by Kashibu Victory

The first thing you notice in Ajegunle Extension is not the noise, but the thirst.

Silence Has Cost Us Enough

Photo by Emmanuel Yeboah Okine on Unsplash

By Atinuke Adeosun

Before we get into it, we want to invite you to the Jos Mental Health Summit 2026. 

Theme: Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma

Date: May 26, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM

Register here: www.aibeth.org

Women, Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Economic Power in Nigeria

Group Photo from the WIPO IP and Women Business Summit at the United Nations House, Abuja.

by Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On March 17, 2026, I attended the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Intellectual Property and Women Business Summit at the United Nations House, Abuja.

Even Good Intentions Can Cause Harm

Photo by Zachary Keimig on Unsplash

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

I made a post on the Shades of Us page about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and Facebook flagged it as “Child Sexual Exploitation,” placing a restriction on my profile.

Even after an appeal, the decision stood.

The Quiet Growth of Nasara Tanko

Nasara Tanko Looks to the World with Hope

By Ojonugwa Yahaya

A reflection on childhood, displacement, and the quiet resilience of becoming.

Building Safer Digital Spaces: Tech-Facilitated GBV in the Age of AI

By Simbiat Amzat

The launch of the #16daysofActivism by Leading Ladies Africa on November 28, 2025, in partnership with TechHer NG, brought together women who live and breathe the fight for digital safety. I didn’t expect the conversation to hit me as deeply as it did, but from the moment the session began, I felt myself leaning in. I joined the webinar thinking I already understood tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), but by the end, I realised how much I had overlooked, how much I had normalised, and how much we still needed to confront.

How Corruption Affects Development Across Africa

Photo by James Wiseman on Unsplash

By Simbiat Amzat​

Corruption continues to undermine development across many African countries, stalling progress and limiting opportunities for millions of people. Despite the continent’s vast human and natural resources, the mismanagement and diversion of public funds weaken institutions, disrupt public services, and erode trust in governance. To understand how corruption affects development, we must reflect on the ways it shapes everyday life, deepens inequality, and prevents communities from reaching their full potential.

Unbent and Unbroken

From Top Left to Bottom Right: Cobhams Asuquo, Lois Auta, Eddie Ndopu, Farida Bedwei, and Samkelo Radebe. (Image Credit: Lagos Jump Radio, World Economic Forum, United Nations Foundation, Empower Africa, Alchetron)

Five African Stories of Power, Grit, and Defiant Possibility

By Atinuke Adeosun

There is a saying I have heard thrown around when life felt unfair: “Strength is not always loud; sometimes it whispers.”

The Invisible Violence of Algorithms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

 By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

I recently sat down with Imoh from West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) in Dakar to discuss an issue that is shaping the daily realities of women online: the invisible violence of algorithms. 

How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye, Shades of Us Founder, with Ugonna and Titi on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja 

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

On December 3 and 5, 2025, I joined Ugonna on Kiss FM 99.9 Abuja on behalf of Shades of Us to discuss How Pop Culture Shapes Gender Norms. The conversations were part of our continued commemoration of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, and they offered me the opportunity to expand on the stories, jokes, lyrics, and images we consume every day.

Fertility and Blame Culture in Nigeria

Ramatu Ada Ochekliye at Montage Radio 99.7 FM to Discuss Fertility and Blame Culture in Nigeria

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

Last week, I joined Gesiere on Montage Radio 99.7 FM in Abuja to discuss a topic that touches the lives of countless Nigerian (and dare I say, African) women: fertility, blame, and the ways patriarchy shapes our understanding of reproductive health. Our conversation was part of the 16 Days of Activism, a global campaign that, this year, places a spotlight on ending digital violence against women and girls.

Securing Your Privacy and Freedom Online

Photo by appshunter.io on Unsplash

By Simbiat Amzat

In this century we live in, it is almost impossible to separate our digital lives from our everyday lives. For billions of people worldwide, including millions in Africa and Nigeria, the internet shapes how we work, communicate, learn, and participate in society. Every message sent, post shared, or transaction made generates data: data that, without safeguards, can be collected, analysed, or exploited. Protecting digital rights, particularly privacy and freedom of expression, is therefore essential for human dignity and democracy.​

Governing Digital Transformation in Africa

By Simbiat Amzat

Globally, digitalisation is accelerating, and the energy surrounding the digital future in Africa is unfolding rapidly. Citizens want faster, smarter public services. Governments aim to build systems that deliver, and the continent is full of opportunity. That excitement came alive at the AfreGov webinar, themed “Governing Digital Transformation in the Public Sector: Inclusive Institutional Models for Sustainable Financing for e-Governance in Africa,”  which Shades of Us attended on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

Women, Peace, and Equality: Reclaiming the Conversation

Photo by zibik on Unsplash

By Yecenu Sasetu

Thirty years after the Beijing Platform for Action, the world still grapples with the same questions: how do we make peace real, and how do we make it inclusive? These were the questions that anchored a powerful consultative session convened by the NGO CSW/NY Peace and Gender Equality Working Group, a space where advocates, researchers, and practitioners came together to reflect on what peace truly means for women and girls in today’s world.

Resilient Health Futures

Yecenu Sasetu at the Gatefield Health Summit in Abuja on October 22–23, 2025

By Yecenu Sasetu

I attended the third Gatefield Health Summit (GHS 2025). No, I was actually the Master of Ceremonies for the two days the event was held. Health advocates, leaders, analysts, professionals, students, and journalists gathered in Abuja on October 22–23 for the Summit, which has now become a platform for dialogue on public health futures in Africa.

Beyond the Hashtags: What Happens After the Posts?

Photo by Walls.io on Unsplash

By Cynthia Umeh

Hashtags like #EndDigitalViolence and #UniteAgainstAbuse fill our feeds during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. We share posts, re-tweet powerful messages, and voice our support. But what happens after we hit “post”? Does the conversation stop when the hashtags fade from our timelines? The reality is that real change starts beyond the hashtags.

This Is What Online Safety Looks Like

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

By Atinuke Adeosun

Ever heard the saying “evil evolves”? It is painfully true. No matter how far humanity travels, no matter how many breakthroughs we celebrate or hard-won agreements we reach, those determined to harm always find new terrain. The internet and the smartphone — two of the most transformative inventions of our age — should have been pure gifts, widening opportunity, shrinking distance, expanding possibility. Yet in the hands of the worst among us, they have become megaphones for the kind of venom that used to hide in locker rooms, dim parlors, and back-alley whispers.

Media As A Tool For Ending Violence Against Women And Girls

Photo by mulugeta wolde on Unsplash

By Yecenu Sasetu

Vee was only 24 when she walked into a radio station, asking for help; all she needed was for someone to listen to her. She met someone on a social media platform. He was nice, handsome, and romantic, so she thought she had met the man of her dreams. He wasn’t rich, but he was comfortable and had great ideas for the future, and their conversations were focused on career and growth. Indeed, she had met her soulmate, or so she thought. 

UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Why This Fight Matters Now More Than Ever

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

Every year, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women forces us to pause and take stock of how far we have come and how much work still lies ahead. This year’s theme, “UNiTE to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” feels especially urgent. The online world has become an extension of our lives, and with all its promise has come new kinds of harm. For many women and girls in Nigeria, that harm is constant, unrelenting, and deeply personal.

The Evidence for Solutions Journalism

Key Learning and Insights at the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

By Ramatu Ada Ochekliye

At the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja, I sat with a familiar mix of curiosity and anticipation. More than ever, it felt clear to me that the future of storytelling depends on how deliberately we engage with data, knowledge, and the insights we can glean from there. Without data to ground our assumptions, without research to guide our methods, and without insights to shape our decisions, even the most passionate storytelling risks speaking into a void.