Women with Audacity

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By Tolani

To be audacious as a woman is to challenge the rules that limit one’s potential. Society has long celebrated women who are gentle, quiet, and agreeable. Society sees a woman who has confidence, intelligence and isn’t dogmatic as a threat to them which makes it frowned upon by those who are outspoken, ambitious, or unafraid to stand alone. Yet, history shows that progress has always come through the audacity of women who dared to be more. Their courage has taken different forms, the courage to get an education when it was forbidden, to run for office in male-dominated spaces, to start businesses with little support, or simply the gut to say no when silence was easier.

Women with audacity have often been misinterpreted as being rude and breaking society rules and standards by daring to have dreams, ambitious and competing for a higher position in a men dominated workplace. Audacity, therefore, is not arrogance. It is confidence mixed with conviction. It is believing that your voice matters, that your dreams are valid, and that your place in the world is not negotiable. However women with audacity simply means women who exhibit boldness, confidence, and courage to pursue their goals despite obstacles, and can be seen in various contexts such as career ambition, personal life choices, and social change instead of staying or limiting her worth to just kitchen. It's having the self-assurance to make bold choices, challenge conventional limitations, and claim what they deserve without seeking permission from anybody and simply shutting down what others think of them and just take the bold decisions. 

There are lots of audacious women in the world and that doesn't exclude Nigeria. Even with a lot of hate, discouragement and stereotypes, they shine through their insane audacity. Audacious women in Nigeria today are redefining success, beauty, and power. They are breaking barriers in entrepreneurship, technology, politics, and art. These audacious women include;

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900–1978) 

She was known to be an audacious woman. She was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria and one of the earliest voices against colonial oppression and gender inequality. She led protests against unfair taxation and colonial rule, defying British authorities.

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

She is regarded as Nigeria’s first female Finance Minister and now the first African woman to head the World Trade Organization (WTO). She was a great force in Nigeria and she boldly fought corruption and pushed economic reforms despite political opposition.

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

She is a renowned author that uses her global literary platform to speak unapologetically about feminism, gender, and African identity. Her boldness in confronting Western stereotypes about Africa and sexism in society sets her apart.

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Oby Ezekwesili

She was a former Minister and World Bank VP who has never shied away from criticizing government failures. She contested for president in 2019. A move many considered daring in Nigeria’s male-dominated politics.

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Rinu Oduala

A young activist who emerged during the #EndSARS protests, fearlessly representing Nigerian youths and calling out police brutality, even in the face of intimidation and arrests.

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Folorunsho Alakija

A very audacious woman that rose from a fashion designer to one of Africa’s richest women. She entered Nigeria’s oil industry which is widely a male-dominated field and built an empire through persistence and bold faith.

To mention but few the world needs more women who are unafraid to be seen and heard. We need women who will question the norms, challenge the systems, and rewrite the stories told about them. We need women who understand that audacity is not about perfection, it is the courage to keep going even when no one claps for you. The courage to show the unexpected and ignore the negative assumptions about it.

Women’s voices are valued, not silenced. Parents must raise their daughters to believe they can lead, invent, and create. Schools must teach girls to think critically, dream boldly and should not limit themselves to society standards of women. We are more than that! Our dreams are valid! We have every right to be great and lead!.

Let us remind ourselves that audacity is contagious. When one woman dares to be bold, she gives permission for others to do the same. When one woman speaks, another finds her voice. When one woman stands tall, others straighten their backs. We should have each other's back, push each other to do great things! I'm a girl's girl! I will not kill my fellow girl or woman’s confidence! I am a safe space for my girl/women!

Women with audacity do not wait for permission, they take actions and write their own stories. They are unafraid of being “too much” and in fact they don't care and do extra too much in a world that often asks them to be less. They challenge, they inspire, they transform. Their strength does not lie in perfection but in persistence and refusal to be silenced or sidelined.

At the end of the day, audacity is not a trait reserved for a few, it is a flame within every woman waiting to be lit because the future belongs to women with audacity.