In March 2025, Olive Chiemerie, a young English graduate, returned from several months in southeastern Nigeria with a heavy realization: young Igbo girls were losing touch with the proud legacy of their foremothers.
Speaking about her experience there, Chiemerie told The Guardian that she witnessed how disturbingly religious dogma, Nollywood narratives, and popular culture have distorted the image of the historical Igbo woman and shaped how young Igbo girls see themselves.
She described the distortion as a loss of the pride Igbo women were once known for.
“There is a visible loss of that ‘notorious’ pride and agency Igbo women were famous for, and in its place is this growing docility and acceptance of ill-treatments as Igbo tradition,” she told The Guardian.
That experience sparked something in her and she felt the need and urgency to dispel the narrative. It birthed Ginikanwanyi, a grassroots feminist organisation.
According to her, the organisation’s goal is to reclaim the Igbo girl’s agency and identity by reconnecting her with the rich heritage and true legacy of Igbo womanhood.
Through the organisation, Chiemerie wants young, impressionable Igbo girls to understand that their foremothers did not believe anybody was above them and did not did not let their interests be subsumed in the men’s interests. She described the modern Igbo traditional practice as a result of the advent of Christianity
Ginikanwanyi is Chiemerie’s protest against this distortion of history.
“I founded Ginikanwanyi to protest an injustice, to educate, mentor, and inspire young Igbo women by reacquainting them with the true history and identity of Igbo womanhood,” she explained.
The birth of Ginikanwanyi
Olive’s determination was fueled by a deeply personal experience. Living with a pregnant relative, she watched how culture and patriarchal traditions silenced a woman even in moments that should have been hers to own.
“We were going back and forth on baby names, she’d wake up, send him names she liked and he wouldn’t have any response,” she recounted.
“After she had her baby, we were still at the hospital when she called him and asked about a name to register the baby with and he said something completely different. It was a declaration; there was no room for dissent. I was infuriated.”
For her relative, this wasn’t unusual. “A husband is, after all, the head of the family,” she shrugged.
But Olive saw something more troubling.
“My relative didn’t think she had any rights at all to naming a child she bore, a child whose pregnancy almost killed her. It was socialisation, plain and simple.”
This moment strengthened Olive’s determination.
“Young Igbo women have been socialised to view marriage as aspirational, and because of upbringing, poverty and religious doctrines, these marriages are not one of peers and equals. Worse now, most Igbo people believe this is how it has always been and now call this Igbo tradition. It’s not.”
She hopes to recruit more young Igbo girls into feminism, help more young women take control of their lives, and not just live for marriage and children.
Changing the narrative through grassroots action
Since founding Ginikanwanyi, Chiemerie has been dedicated to dispelling the harmful cultural narrative surrounding Igbo women.
With nearly 2,000 followers across social media and a growing base of over 200 volunteers, the organization has begun shaping conversations online and in schools. Through their social media platforms, Chiemerie and her team at Ginikanwanyi are telling stories, curating and producing educational content highlighting the contributions of Igbo women to history.
In July, the team carried out their first school outreach in Onitsha, in partnership with another girls’ group, Pick A Pad. “It was such an affirming, uplifting experience,” Olive said. “We introduced feminist ideals to 300+ girls and spoke to them about bodily autonomy, self-advocacy, Igbo women’s history, education and media literacy, gender politics and economic independence as a tool for freedom.”
Beyond outreaches like this, Chiemerie has more ambitious projects lined up. She hopes to establish Ginikanwanyi Feminist Advocacy Clubs in schools to provide young girls a space for learn about their history, speak freely about the pressures they face and also receive mentorship from feminists.
The young English graduate also hopes to archive oral histories, burst myths and share real-life testimonies from women across Igbo communities to preserve and platform intergenerational stories through community storytelling projects.
Challenges and Aspirations
The journey has not been easy, says Chiemerie. She told The Guardian that Ginikanwanyi is her first shot at building and managing initiatives, but she is taking courses to learn how to run the organisation and secure funding for their projects.
Chiemerie has yet to secure funding to run the organisation, so, she and her team fund Ginikanwanyi out of their own pockets, with occasional donations from supporters.
“Our major challenge is lack of funding. Our message is for the girls to not rush into marriages, to try to make something or themselves first but poverty is the main reason they rush into marriages of unequal partnerships, so we need to be able to help them stay in school by paying their fees, helping some get jobs to earn a living or secure accommodation for those at risk among other things,” said Chiemerie.
Despite the current challenges staring her and the team in the face, Chiemerie is optimistic about Ginikanwanyi’s future and remains determined.
