Witness

Mrs F: Nigeria’s Women Walk on Water

A Nigerian theatre director encourages women from Makoko in Lagos to participate in a play about violence against women.

Nigerian theatre director Ifeoma Fafunwa (Mrs F) plans to stage her play, Hear Word, about the abuse of women in Makoko, an impoverished waterside community in Lagos.

The play is based on women’s real-life experiences of rape and violence. She casts local women who have never previously acted, and creates a “floating” stage so people can watch the performance close to their homes.

In Makoko, where many women face violence from men in overcrowded conditions, Mrs F hopes it will give women the space to speak up and be heard.