A movement OF people with mental health conditions FOR people with mental health conditions.

Nothing About Us Without Us.

Our Story.

After nearly taking her life in 2016, our Founder, Hauwa Ojeifo was diagnosed with bipolar and PTSD. She dealt with shame, stigma and secrecy in navigating social and systemic barriers in mental healthcare in Nigeria. Hauwa’s story is not unique - she is merely a representation of the experience of over 40 million Nigerians.

The Challenge.

The challenge is that mental health is a taboo topic. There is mass misinformation, under awareness and unawareness. Nigeria has archaic mental health legislation that perpetuates human rights abuses against people that interact with the system. In addition, there's no mental healthcare at the primary healthcare level leading to a lack of accessibility and affordability of mental healthcare in Nigeria.

The Choice.

At She Writes Woman, we are making a choice to speak truth to stigma, normalise mental health conversations and champion new narratives. As an organisation of people with mental health conditions, we are taking back the misinformed narrative told about us, taking up seats at decision-making tables and fighting to lead the conversation on issues that affect us.

Our Vision.

Our vision is three-part. We are creating a Nigeria where people with mental health conditions fully realise their fundamental human rights on an equal basis as others, people that interact with mental health services are treated with dignity and liberty, and through services and programming, we create better lives for Nigerians by improving the way they think, feel and behave.

Our Mission.

We are giving mental health a voice in Nigeria

Empower people with lived experience to tell their own stories, co-create their solutions and advocate for their own rights
Creating safe places for people to access support free of shame and judgment
Normalising mental health conversations
Make mental health mainstream by leveraging intersectional solutions