The ordeal of the Nigerian Twitter feminist

By: Omamofe Esther

Feminism: “A social theory or political movement which argues that legal and social restrictions on women must be removed in order to bring about equality of the sexes in all aspects of public and private.”

Nigerians witnessed a full-blown gender war on Twitter in the first two weeks of 2025. “Gender war” — a term Twitter Patriarchy FC has abused like paracetamol.

A woman who wakes up at 5 am to prepare her husband’s lunch, do chores, look after her kids (if there are any), does not wear makeup or wigs, and wears an overflowing boubou 24/7 is tagged an “ideal wife or a virtuous woman”.

You know who you must avoid? A woman who does not cook or clean every day, who outsources food and cleaning services regularly, who has a career, who is ambitious, or — God forbid — who hires nannies to watch her kids while chasing her dreams and living her life. The icing on the cake would be an unmarried woman, a divorcee, and a feminist who is also a baddie. LOL! This category of women are tagged “bitter, wicked, frustrated witches”.

According to Twitter Patriarchy FC, a woman who cares for her man offline and “fights” for her rights or the rights of women online is merely a “Twitter feminist”. When a woman advocates for equal rights on Twitter, she is merely pretending and grandstanding. To Nigerian men, she lives a much different reality that revolves around her man and family. This misogynistic concept is deeply rooted in Nigeria’s patriarchal society, which has constructed the belief that women were born to become homemakers and men’s footstools.

The term Twitter Feminism is misconstrued by many people, and this misunderstanding diminishes its importance and undermines its purpose. Many see the participants of this movement as “bitter” women who have nothing to offer but antagonism against men. Maybe it is true that some women use feminism as a weapon to get revenge on men for their experiences, but that is not the goal of “Twitter Feminism”.

Twitter feminists are women who are not afraid of shutting down misogyny and abuse against women in any form. A lot of women and girls have taken refuge under this movement as it allows them to reach out to feminists who are willing to protect them from the snare of men. This protection has caused feminism to spread like wildfire among women.

There is an enlightenment on the patriarchal standards and mindset of Nigerian men, which has caused men to feel threatened and outsmarted. Because of this, the feminist movement on Nigerian Twitter has put a strain on the relationship between both genders in the country.

Is it not true that one of the greatest fears of the average Nigerian man is that his wife says she cannot cook or do chores or identifies as a feminist? They will run naked on the streets of Twitter and weep like a jilted groom.

Twitter Feminism in Nigeria is a movement set to liberate women from the patriarchal chains that bound their wrists, hence, the strong opposition. Women are “witches” for wanting to fly above the patriarchal walls, but whoever flies over that wall has seen the full brightness of the day.

“Nigerian Twitter Feminism is the last stage a lady gets to before becoming a full-blown witch.”

– Some Twitter NG Patriarch, probably.

Omamofe Esther is a recent English and Literature graduate of the University of Benin. She has written poems, dramas, and prose fiction, focusing more on articles that address societal loopholes. She is passionate about driving her opinions on gender abuse against women and the infringement of people’s rights generally. She is a fan of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o. She prefers to go by her middle name, Omamofe, and tweets at @santo_xo.