Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah

thumb|Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah in 2021 Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is a Ghanaian feminist writer and blogger. She co-founded award-winning blog Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women and has written for The Guardian and Open Democracy. Sekyiamah is the Director for Communications manager at the Association for Women's Rights in Development and a member of the Black Feminism Forum Working Group which organised the historic first Black Feminist Forum in Bahia, Brazil. Quotes “Talking openly and honestly about bodies, sex and sexualities feels increasingly important as politics leans more towards the right” My sexual freedom odyssey: what ancient African wisdom can teach us about pleasure today The guardians (3 March 2026) “Pleasure is our birthright.” My sexual freedom odyssey: what ancient African wisdom can teach us about pleasure today The guardians (3 March 2026) “We are all entitled to feel joy in our bodies, and to access and delight in our erotic power.” My sexual freedom odyssey: what ancient African wisdom can teach us about pleasure today The guardians (3 March 2026) “No matter our ability, gender or sexuality.” My sexual freedom odyssey: what ancient African wisdom can teach us about pleasure today The guardians (3 March 2026) “It occurred to me that, oh, people don't know that these stories exist and they've been written about mainly by feminist academics,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “What if,” Nana said, “we were to tell them about their bodies and pleasure for their own sake?” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “Everybody has that one cool auntie they have a great relationship with,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “I really love the idea of a sex auntie,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “I just want to provide an opportunity to do things differently,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “We are not starting from nowhere - we are starting from a base.” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “It occurred to me that, oh, people don’t know that these stories exist and they’ve been written about mainly by feminist academics,” Nana told me. “I started to think about returning to the past, taking what’s good from the past and bringing it into your present and into your future. What was good about those rites and rituals?” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “pernicious aspect of traditional puberty rites is the focus on the girls” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “we were to tell them about their bodies and pleasure for their own sake?” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “Everybody has that one cool auntie they have a great relationship with,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “I really love the idea of a sex auntie,” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “because a lot of us grew up with mothers who are very conservative and say very little, if anything, about sex. Just imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie. Someone who is bold, who is courageous.” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “If that makes you feel anything, let’s talk about it.” ‘Imagine, if everyone had a sex auntie’: Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah on tradition as a basis for pleasure The guardians (11 March 2026) “The easy answer is I wrote this book because I am seeking sexual freedom.” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “All my books are very much inspired by questions I am seeking to answer in my own life.” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “I am on a life long journey of learning about sex, and sexualities, and my first book, The Sex Lives of African Women, introduced me to women who were living incredibly free sexual lives.” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “I wanted to learn how I too could be sexually free,” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “I hope readers are inspired to create new rituals of pleasure in their lives today.” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “I hope readers are inspired to research their own ancestral ways of knowing and being, and take strength from knowing the radical ways in which those who came before created intentional space to share knowledge across generations.” https://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/q-with-nana-darkoa-sekyiamah.html deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com (11 March 2026) “I also knew from Adventures that a wealth of such stories existed.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “My conclusion is that many women are subverting traditional images in small and sometimes big ways, and one can realise that by taking the time to have a conversation with them.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “I do think it’s hard for people to marry sensuality and spirituality because many of us are not brought up to be spiritual” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “I would say absolutely nothing to them. I think people need to figure out individually what works for them.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “I find it super helpful to think of culture as something that we create, that is dynamic, and that can change.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “Yes, there’s absolutely hope.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “Everyone should care about the sex lives of African women because pleasure is political, and we deserve to feel joy and autonomy in our bodies.” Unoma Azuah in conversation with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah Author of the trailblazing book The Sex Lives of African Women arts lounge magazine (17 June 2026) “I think the most important thing is to have a community behind you that thinks the way you do, and I have that.” https://www.editorialedomani.it/idee/cultura/raccontare-sesso-africa-sekyiamah-intervista-non-siamo-solo-figli-hiv-mutilazioni-genitali-dobbiamo-chiedere-piacere-gotmhy3y editorialedomani.it (10 April 2025) “It’s important to create spaces where people can meet and know that they are not alone.” https://www.editorialedomani.it/idee/cultura/raccontare-sesso-africa-sekyiamah-intervista-non-siamo-solo-figli-hiv-mutilazioni-genitali-dobbiamo-chiedere-piacere-gotmhy3y editorialedomani.it (10 April 2025) “My next book is an essay: it looks at the ways in which African rituals of the pre-colonial era dealt with sex and sexuality.” https://www.editorialedomani.it/idee/cultura/raccontare-sesso-africa-sekyiamah-intervista-non-siamo-solo-figli-hiv-mutilazioni-genitali-dobbiamo-chiedere-piacere-gotmhy3y editorialedomani.it (10 April 2025) “Many of them are being lost. I would like to look at these traditions and encourage us to recover them and reclaim them in a feminist sense, because they originated with a patriarchal imprint.” https://www.editorialedomani.it/idee/cultura/raccontare-sesso-africa-sekyiamah-intervista-non-siamo-solo-figli-hiv-mutilazioni-genitali-dobbiamo-chiedere-piacere-gotmhy3y editorialedomani.it (10 April 2025) “Beyond the numbers, this is about people's lives. This is about changing systems.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “The commitments have been made. There's been a lot of good talk; a lot of good documentation. What we need to see is real action, a real revolution. A change in the system from the inside out.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “I almost don't know where to start from, right? Because it's a persistent issue.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “It's to do with creating systems that are often determined by men, right?” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “That change hasn't happened because the main players and the humanitarian actors are comfortable with the status quo.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “And, it's not in their best interest for there to be meaningful change, because that means a loss of power for them.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “Women and girls at the front.” https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/podcasts/2024/04/18/whats-unsaid-why-we-need-fund-feministsthenewhumanitarian.org (18 April 2024) “Women getting organised is definitely a feminist act. At the same time, did the women participating in those demonstrations do so of their own free will? That would determine whether it was an instance of feminism or not.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) “For me, the fight for sexual freedom is a deeply feminist issue.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) “We must be generous and kind to ourselves.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) “Right now, solidarity is incredibly important, as the world is descending into chaos.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) “We should not focus too much on the anti-feminist movement, but we must not lose sight of it either.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) “There needs to be more spaces for feminists where we can learn from each other, share experiences and support each other. In my opinion, there is not enough financial support for this.” “Anti-feminism is the desire of the state to control the bodies of women and queer people” gwi-boell.de (December 2023) The Sex Lives of African Women: Self-Discovery, Freedom, and Healing (2021) We achieve freedom when we let go of the weight of societal expectations, and when we find our people – those who love us, care for us, and hold us up when we start slipping. Many women lose all the privileges of a free woman when they get married and what they gain is nothing compared to what they lose. I feel most free when I am myself, stripped of all pretences, lounging naked on my bed, my boobies freely rolling to wherever they choose to land, my belly relaxed and soft, my thighs apart, my hands wherever they may choose to lie. With no one around me, I am my most free self. I spent years avoiding sex with guys because I didn’t want anyone to gossip about me. I wish I had realized sooner that no matter what I did guys would claim to have fucked me every which way under the sun. Today I feel like my best sex life is being lived in my imagination. I’m a lot more free in my mind than I am in my body. I dream and fantasise a lot but I don’t necessarily create the kind of experiences that would allow me to enjoy the feelings that I think about. I have learned over time that relationships require work. When you’re younger, you have a sense of love as being magical and so relationships happen in that particular space of magic, and it’s easy to feel that’s all one needs, but now I know that relationships require work, and constant work. The desire that is in the relationship also needs to be nurtured, and thought about, and reentered and reimagined. I’ve learnt to ask myself every day, Are you happy today? And if the answer is no I make a change. External links Category:Novelists from Ghana Category:Bloggers Category:Businesswomen Category:Women's rights activists Category:Women activists from Ghana Category:Living people