The Nigerian Bar Association Women’s Forum (NBAWF), led by Chairperson Huwaila Muhammad Ibrahim, has expressed strong disapproval over the persistent and derogatory reference to women lawyers as “conference materials” during NBA Annual General Conferences, describing the term as offensive, demeaning, and unbefitting of the legal profession.
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The controversy resurfaced after a social media post, including on the e_lawyer_nigeria Instagram handle, highlighted concerns that women were being described as “conference materials: here to fornicate,” a remark reducing female lawyers to sexual objects. The comment has since sparked outrage within the legal community.
Reacting, NBAWF leadership labeled the terminology as “unacceptable and contrary to the values of our noble profession.” The Forum stressed that women attend conferences not as accessories but as dedicated professionals actively contributing to the growth and development of the Bar.
“It is both disheartening and regrettable that women, who make up a significant part of the Bar and have consistently proven their excellence, are trivialized in such a manner. NBA conferences are meant to foster learning, collaboration, and dignity, not promote harmful stereotypes,” the Forum said in a statement.
NBAWF urged all stakeholders to refrain from derogatory remarks and ensure that NBA gatherings remain safe, respectful, and inclusive spaces where women are valued for their intellect and professionalism. The Forum also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the dignity of women lawyers and insisted that their role in advancing justice in Nigeria cannot and should not be diminished.
“TheNigeriaLawyer recalls that at the just-concluded 2025 NBA Annual General Conference, a female conferee, Merit Chekwube Divine, took to her Instagram page to raise her voice against the demeaning and disrespectful labels often directed at women attending the event.”
She lamented that women were being reduced to degrading stereotypes, as though their presence at the conference held no value beyond sex or appearance. According to her, such labels make it seem “as if our hard work, fees, and sacrifices amount to nothing but being someone’s accessory or plaything.”
Addressing those responsible for such remarks, she challenged them directly: “Do you even hear yourselves? Do you realize how cheap, how small, how insulting that sounds?”
Divine stressed that women did not pay expensive conference fees, leave behind their work, families, and ongoing cases, only to be trivialized or ridiculed. “We didn’t come here to decorate your tables or fuel your fantasies,” she said firmly.
Rejecting the offensive narrative, she declared: “We are not conference materials. I reject this with everything in me. We are not here to fornicate. We are lawyers, delegates, professionals, who came to learn, network, and grow.”
She further emphasized the impact of language on culture and behavior, stating: “Words build culture. Culture shapes conduct. When you label women as ‘materials,’ you license harassment.”
In a bold call to action, Divine urged women to stop keeping silent, warning that silence only fuels disrespect. She also called on the NBA to set the tone, protect dignity, and put an end to this culture of mockery. Finally, she appealed to society at large to stop sexualizing women and reducing their presence to immorality.
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