Ep. 88: Sexual Freedom: Pleasure as a Form of Resistance - with Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah
What if sexual freedom isn't about becoming someone new, but remembering who we've always been?
In this episode, I sit down with author, activist, and cultural visionary Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah to explore pleasure as a form of resistance. Together, we discuss African wisdom traditions, the cyclical nature of women's bodies, decolonizing sexuality, and why reclaiming pleasure may be one of the most radical acts available to us today.
Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is a groundbreaking voice and advocate for African and Afro descendant women's experiences of sex, sexuality, and pleasure. Her debut, The Sex Lives of African Women, was an instant classic, lauded by Publishers Weekly as "an astonishing report on the quest for sexual liberation" and named a Best Book of the Year by The Economist.
Sekyiamah is the celebrated co-founder of the popular website Adventures from the Bedrooms of African Women. She is a renowned podcaster, a festival co-curator, and the Co-Founder of the Institute of Journalism and Social Change.
Her transformative work has earned her international recognition, including a spot on the BBC's 100 inspirational and influential women list and New Africa magazine's list of 100 inspirational Africans.
In this episode we explore:
Nana shared from her story and story behind her book “Sexual Freedom” and why so many women are longing to come home to their bodies and their pleasure.
The African traditions and rites that honour sexuality as a source of wisdom, the meaning of “Sankofa”, why remembering the past can create a freer future the role of elders, guides, and "wise sex aunties" in women's lives.
What it means to decolonize sexuality, how colonialism continues to live in our bodies and what we're really becoming free from when we talk about sexual freedom.
The cyclical body and sexual freedom; we explored the seasons of sexuality as expressed through the lifespan and the menstrual cycle.
Why pleasure isn't self-indulgence but a profound act of resistance!
Enjoy!