Aisha Yesufu, Uyaiedu Ipke-Etim Listed Amongst BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women In The World (Photos)

Two Nigerian women has made it to the BBC’s 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for the year 2020. Aisha Yesufu – co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign and Uyaiedu Ipke-Etim film maker/director, have been listed.

According to BBC, 2020’s 100 Women list “is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times”.

Aisha Yesufu (born on December 12 1974 in Kano State, northwest Nigeria) is a socio-political activist, and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, an advocacy group that brought attention to the abduction of over 200 girls, from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, on April 14 2014, by Boko Haram terrorist group.

Aishat alongside the former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili were the forefront leaders of the campaign that drew attention worldwide including that of the former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama.

She has also been a leading figure in the #EndSARS movement, a campaign that drew attention to the brutality of now-disbanded police unit called the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Mrs. Yesufu who was born by Edo parents but raised in Kano, she shared her difficult experiences of being a girl-child in a heavily patriarchal environment. In her words;

By the time I was 11 years old, I did not have any female friends because all of them had been married off but I wanted to be educated and leave the ghetto. Most of my mates were almost grandmothers when I married at 24.

Uyaiedu Ipke-Etim is a film-maker, director and LGBTQ+ activist, who has committed herself to creating stories about marginalised groups in Nigeria.

Her latest film, Ife, which means “love” in Yoruba, tells the story of two Nigerian lesbians navigating the harsh, homophobic realities of Nigeria. Following the announcement of the film’s impending release, it has faced state censorship in Nigeria.

Others on the list are: four-time Grammy award winner Angélique Kidjo, who advocates on behalf of children as a UNICEF ambassador, Sanna Marin, who leads Finland’s all-female coalition government, Michelle Yeoh, star of the new Avatar and Marvel films and Sarah Gilbert, who heads the Oxford University research into a coronavirus vaccine, as well as Jane Fonda, a climate activist and actress.

Also, BBC in a unique way left one name on the 100 Women list blank as a tribute to countless women around the world have made sacrifices to help others this year.

Click here to see the exhaustive list of women around the world who made it to the prestigious list.