Focusing on women's empowerment and agency in kayan mata's discourse in Nigeria


Oluwatobi Alabi, University of Johannesburg

This paper examines the motivations behind women's use of kayan mata in Nigeria. The term kayan mata refers to traditional aphrodisiacs used by women in Northern Nigeria. It is loosely translated as the luggage of a woman. Using a qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with women who consume kayan mata, men who have insight into women's use of kayan mata, and sellers of the aphrodisiac to gain a better understanding of its varieties, motivations, and implications for intimacy, relationships, and family dynamics. To explore how kayan mata has become an important tool in Nigerian politics of intimate relationships, arguments of nego-feminism and snail-sense feminism are made, which assert that women have used a variety of strategies to navigate limiting terrains and challenge gender norms in various cultures throughout Africa. The results of this study suggest that kayan mata has become a tool by which some women assert agency and navigate the delicate politics of intimate relationships, marriage and family-life. Besides its perceived role in stimulating sexual pleasure, it increases women's self-confidence, which enhances their negotiation power. The participants' narratives emphasize the close connection between sexual satisfaction, relationship stability, and empowerment. Despite the fact that some participants believe that kayan mata can be an effective negotiation tool for women in intimate relationships, concerns about its misuse and associations with diabolical practices also emerge, underscoring the complexity and fluidity of empowerment narratives. This study emphasizes the complexity of intimate relationships and redefines narratives about assertiveness, liberation, and empowerment in the context of traditional aphrodisiacs in Nigeria.

This paper will be presented at the following session: