“The Eyala Circle created a space to strengthen sisterhood” - Chanceline Mevowanou (Benin)

Organizing the Eyala circle in Cotonou was an exciting experience. I was looking forward to meeting people with whom I share dreams and collective actions for the well-being and growth of girls and women in Benin. With the Eyala Circle, this became a reality. 

On January 28th 2023, Beninese feminists welcomed their first Eyala circle. The event took place in Cotonou at Jardin de Canelya. When I think back on the circle, the sense of well-being, vulnerability, and self-renewal that I felt during the discussions is what comes first to mind. Along with the physical and emotional exhaustion I felt at the end of the circle. I fell asleep as soon as I got back home. I had been invited to go see a play in the evening on the same day. I didn’t go to this show because I slept so heavily after the circle that I had forgotten about it.  

The Eyala Circles are authentic and intense moments of sharing. It’s something one has to experience to understand it.

In Benin and many French-speaking West African countries, there is always enthusiasm and engagement for spaces and conversations that focus on authentic feminist experiences. I’ve seen it in Ivory Coast, in Senegal, in Niger... Because feminist circles where we don’t come to talk about work and/or our knowledge of some feminist concepts aren’t common nowadays. I don’t know if such circles have existed in the past. The need for safe, intimate spaces where feminists can tell their stories and allow themselves to be vulnerable is real. It’s something many feminists are aware of.

Océane, a fellow feminist sister often tells me about this when we talk. She feels that our jobs within organisations and the search for thematic expertise have taken up too much of our activism. While we rarely look at how we live and embody feminism in our lives or not. When I sent out the invitations for the Cotonou Eyala circle, she was on a trip to Mali and Guinea. She returned from her trip at 5am that day and came to the Eyala Circle later that morning. She didn’t want to miss it. At the end of the Circle, this is what she had to share about her experience:

“The circle was interesting because feminists were given a space to talk about something other than what they do. They were asked about their intimate relationships with feminism as an identity.”

— Océane

There were about twenty participants in this circle. Some of the feminists I knew, and others I didn’t; older feminists as well as younger ones. Not to mention women who are at the start of their feminist journeys, and are beginning to claim a feminist identity. There was food and drinks, at the center and in front of us. We were in a green environment… quiet and serene.

I took the time to observe the interactions as the participants arrived for the Circle. For most of us, it was like a reunion. We never really stopped seeing each other. However, we often only met for activities around our jobs and our projects. And so, the energy was different for the circle. I was grateful to see the friendly atmosphere as soon as the participants arrived and settled in.  Smiles, positive energy, hugs... It reminded me that we need to set up spaces for ourselves. And I’m even more convinced by Kifayath’s feedback on the Circle.

“For me, the circle was a space of discovery and sharing of experiences. I felt free and happy to express myself without filters. I loved the good-natured atmosphere that prevailed throughout the session.”

— Kifayath

As an introduction to the discussions, I spoke about Eyala and the spirit of the circles we organize. For many, it was their first time hearing about Eyala. Others already followed and knew our founder Françoise Moudouthe. We discussed the theme “Our feminist lives”. The idea for this circle was to explore together our personal experiences as African feminists and to challenge our feminist lives, in an intimate and safe setting. The beauty of the Eyala Circle is that nothing is imposed, fixed, or prepared when it comes to what to share. The circle unfolds following what the people present want to share.

The exchanges started by focusing on our memories of our first moments of feminist consciousness. Many of the participants in the circle knew each other, but mostly through their activist work, as members or presidents of different organizations. To create deeper bonds, and to establish trust, there was a need to (re)discover one another, to know the story behind the activist. This circle created the space to strengthen sisterhood among us because by becoming closer and by having more intimate conversations, we reinforce solidarity. This was demonstrated by the feedback at the end of the discussions. For instance, Axelle talked about how she felt throughout the circle: 

“The Eyala Circle made me feel like I belonged to a community. A community of people determined to put an end to anything that enslaves women. It’s amazing.”

— Axelle

Some interesting stories were shared during the discussions. Someone recounted that when she was a student in her school, girls were not allowed to be class leaders and boys did not clean the classroom. She felt that this was unfair and made it her goal to become a classroom leader and to implement cleaning for all students, girls and boys. She succeeded with great determination. This was the beginning of her feminist journey.

For another, it was having been a victim of sexual harassment by a professor at university that triggered her feminist consciousness and the will to advocate and embody a new social order where young women evolve without being subjected to sexist violence.

We listened to a participant who shared her story of being an African woman living with a disability and fighting to change the reductive narratives about people living with disabilities. It was one of my favorite moments of the circle. She shared how instrumental her mother’s support has been in her life. Her story reminded us of the power of love and community. We are all connected and interdependent. These connections are areas of power where we can operate to leave no woman behind. But we often forget this in a world where the individualism induced by our systems makes us believe we are powerful on our own. Hearing her story made me realise more than ever that no one is voiceless. There are invisibilised and silenced voices, voices we don't hear...but not voiceless people.

The conversation also focused on the way we personally embody feminism, if we succeed in doing so, and how we feel when we do not. I noticed that these were issues that weren’t often discussed. Because the praxis of feminism through the implementation of projects appears to be the way we experience feminism the most. It’s mostly through these achievements that people also try to evaluate us.

Many explore this topic during the circle, especially through the lens of “doing - what I do” and also through the lens of “being - who I am, what I embody”. Nonetheless, we listened to many resonant stories. Stories that honor our humanities. Some of these stories revealed that there is a whole journey between saying “I am a feminist”, having the will to become one, and “truly living feminism”. Personally, and collectively.

We listened to the survivors of sexual violence among us who shared their journeys and how they now try to heal and embody a kind of feminism. The experiences shared took us through every emotion: smiles, laughter, tears, heavy silences... We listened to one another. Many of us felt seen and welcomed.

“I felt free. Free to be me, to be real. Because I was surrounded by benevolent people who accepted their wounds. I liked that it happened in a garden and all that was offered for us to enjoy. I liked the soothing atmosphere.”

— Nadège

Towards the end of the discussions, we listened to older feminists who shared how they experienced their feminism and the legacy that’s left for the younger generation. A lesson I took away from this part of the conversation is that as young feminists, our goal shouldn’t be to constantly point a finger at our elders without looking for ways to do better. We should use our elders’ resources, learn from their experiences, and aim to work with them.

We all acknowledged that these conversations are important and necessary to build our movement. Conversations are part of the tools we have. It is through conversation that we can overcome judgment, know each other better, and share our thoughts. I’m hopeful that we’ll hold other Eyala circles in Cotonou. Because this first circle was an unforgettable experience for me and the participants.

“Freedom is what I truly look for as a human being” – Chanceline Mevowanou (Benin)

My name is Chanceline Gwladys Wangninan Mevowanou, my friends and family call me “Chance”. I’m from Benin and I’m 25 years old. I grew up in Avankrou, a town in southern Benin in Ouémé department. I currently live in Cotonou, not far from the beach. I love the beach. Watching the sea helps soothe my anxiety, shut down the noise in my mind and clear my thoughts.

I like chill evenings and parties. Now you know that you must invite me to your parties. I love scented candles, wine, backpacks, and sneakers. I wear sneakers with almost every outfit (don’t call the Fashion Police, please 😄😂). 

Freedom is truly what I look for as a human being. My goal is to grow, to fulfil myself on my terms, and to thrive in environments where I can live a dignified and nurtured life. I want to exist freely. It’s for that freedom that I am a feminist first and a feminist activist second. I want to be free, free from the patriarchy and all the other systems of oppression that feed it. That’s why I’m in action. I personally and collectively want to contribute to the dismantling of systems that brainwash women, hinder their freedom, and destroy their humanity.

I had my first feminist awakening within my family and my village. My mother told me how my father decided to only send the boys to school and to let the girls take care of the house chores. I remember seeing my father hitting my mother in front of us during an argument and throwing her belongings outside. I also clearly remember how my mom stayed after experiencing this violence. I heard her say that she would stay with her children no matter what. She said that she would put up with anything. 

In my village, I saw the injustice that children, girls, and women particularly endured, and still endure, repeatedly. I remember the stories of women who were frequently beaten by their spouses for one thing or the other; of families who abused their children, using beatings as well as demeaning language to supposedly educate them. I also experienced this. My parents and the “grown-ups” would beat us to teach us manners. I was repulsed by this “violence” we were raised in. This violence is doubled for girls. Because they are girls. I saw many girls from my village quit school. They were sent back home or forced into marriage because of early pregnancy. My father also threatened to send us back home if one of us became pregnant without graduating high school. I was constantly afraid. When I first had my period, my parents almost took me to the hospital to check if I was still a virgin. I strongly believed that we could be raised differently and that they could talk to us. I felt a lot of anger regarding these treatments.  

My parents taught me that if I became a strong woman, no one would dare hit me or humiliate me as they did the other women, girls, and children. They told me that if I had a job, money, a house, and other possessions, no man would disrespect me or lay a hand on me. They said that going to school was the path to becoming such a strong woman. I would also see women on TV and say that I would be like them: free to express myself. So, I saw school as a pathway to freedom, the path to stop experiencing injustice. I had this theory: the more kids would go to school, especially girls, the more they would be prepared to react to injustice and not experience it silently. That was what I believed in. That’s why I studied hard in school.  

At school, I didn’t simply study. I did everything to be among the best students and to be rewarded for it.  To show people that girls are strong. I wanted to stand out because of my excellent grades, my insightful answers, and my ability to speak my mind and speak in public.  I also got involved in extracurricular activities that would allow me to strengthen my self-confidence. I was a member of the middle school drama and dance groups. I developed a passion for poetry and slam poetry. I viewed these groups as a place to talk with my peers about things I couldn't discuss at home. I started writing about the importance of sex education for children as well as fighting against violence against girls and women. I practiced thinking, brainstorming, coming up with ideas, writing, and initiating conversations with peers.

Writing and slam poetry were my first tools for action. Then there were the scenes we had to perform on stage. I noticed that after each of our performances, whether it was in class or during culture day, people would ask questions and talk about these issues and a conversation would arise. So, I continued. Writing, theatre and slam deeply changed me as a person, liberated my thinking and my voice, and pushed me down a path of free and unorganised community organising. They showed me how I could begin to get into action without waiting to become a strong woman.

In the 11th grade, Peace Corps volunteers came to our school to run a girls’ empowerment program. I was in the selection of the best girls who should participate in this program, and then I was granted a scholarship for the program. We were given training and exempted from paying school fees for two years. We were two girls on a scholarship. With the volunteers and the two teachers delegated by the school to run this program, we followed several training courses on girls' leadership, gender, puberty management, and role models. This training strengthened my abilities, my beliefs, and my will to act for the rights of girls and children. 

I started moderating school clubs. In the first girls’ clubs that I ran, we focused on what we experienced as girls, women’s realities, the other students around us, and how many people, us included, had to discuss it to find answers together. I believe that when something’s wrong in our communities, we ought to talk about it and have conversations! Because we won’t find solutions without conversations, the tool that allows us to understand why and how children, girls, and women are affected. 

That was the mindset I was in after graduating high school: mobilising and gathering girls and boys, women and men around issues that affect us and fuel conversations that will lead to action. I went back to my village to set up initiatives and people - upon seeing me doing this - called me an activist and a feminist. I carried these two hats for a long time before deciding to understand what they meant. I had to understand and then build what being an activist and a feminist meant for me. I think that’s what I’m currently doing. Along the way, my understanding of inequalities evolved and is still evolving. The injustices that women face in our societies are mere symptoms and expressions of bigger oppressive systems. These systems influence our lives, our thoughts, our beliefs, our norms, our actions, our policies, the economy, and our societies’ growth… And we can resist, challenge them loudly and dismantle them. No woman will ever talk too much or write too much in our societies as they are today.  Let’s raise our voices and liberate our thoughts and our actions. 

I found Eyala at a time when I was exhausted from being the young feminist activist working in an NGO where her feminism might not grow. I remembered that I had to seize opportunities to keep on being part of conversations for the radical liberation of every African girl and woman.  I want to take part in important conversations for my generation and amplify the voices and actions of African feminists. In self-preservation and sisterhood. I want to be where we discuss and act together to dismantle the patriarchy. That's why I joined Eyala. Join us on our journey as a feminist collective.