Françoise | Gender justice consultant and founder of Eyala | Africa. Feminism. Sisterhood. Books | From Douala, Cameroon, and currently living in Casablanca, Morocco
Instagram: @eyalablog
Blog: eyala.blog
1) THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
Sisterhood! Since launching Eyala I have created beautiful bonds with African womxn from around the world – past interviewees, participants to Eyala’s Sisters’ Circles, followers, and others. They have trusted me with their stories and taught me that vulnerability is a power, not a weakness.
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2) THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS?
Someone I hold very close to my heart betrayed me in ways I never could have imagined. The waves of pain affected all areas of my life, from work to family, and it took me months for me to feel like myself again. Starting therapy helped me through it. Definitely the second-best thing that happened in the past year.
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3) YOUR BIGGEST WISH FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
For the world to come out of the #COVID19 crisis with the clarity that we need to rethink how we treat the most vulnerable members of society, and the courage to make the changes that are needed. Business as usual is no longer an option.
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4) YOUR BIGGEST WORRY FOR THE NEAR FUTURE?
There are millions of womxn who are in lockdown with abusive partners because of the COVID19 outbreak. For them, #StayAtHome is not a hashtag, it’s a potential death sentence, and that is distressing.
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5) A CONTEMPORARY WOMAN YOU CURRENTLY ADMIRE?
I most admire womxn who embody their feminist values in their daily lives – I created Eyala to celebrate them. I can’t possibly cite only one but let me cite Nawal El Sawaadi, Minna Salami (@msafropolitan), Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy), Jessica Horn (@stillsherises), and unsung feminist giants like Flavia Mwangovya (@hopemwaka) and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (@dfordarkoa).
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6) A ONE-SENTENCE MESSAGE TO OTHER WOMEN?
As Audre Lorde wrote: “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own."