In an article for Bubblegum Club, waf. representatives spoke on the practice of equity in skateboarding and the ways in which projects and initiatives like waf. babes are pushing for proper gender inclusion in skateboarding. As one of the primary players and stakeholders in Nigerian skateboarding, waf. is working towards righting the structural and systemic inequalities that plague female and queer skaters.
In response to this waf. writes,
When thinking about social inclusion, it is important to remember that we are starting from a point of inequity. Skateboarding programs for marginalized groups have numerous physical, social, and psychological challenges that significantly compromise their participation. To acknowledge this, waf. now includes a female-skaters category in all skate jams and intends to include more marginalized gender groups going forward. During their most recent Go-Skate Day celebration, Nigerian Female Skater, Abimsola Naiwo, emerged [as] the winner of the female-skaters section.
In reaction to inequality, waf. has launched a number of initiatives and projects to broaden the diversity of the Nigerian skating scene. One of these is their constant support for the Nigerian queer skate team Blessing Ewona's Dencity. Via the waf. and Dencity annual Skate jam, which features a competition with prizes and cash prizes for the winners, waf. encourages and supports female and queer skaters. The waf. babes collection, another female driven waf. initiative, aims to cater to a range of body types and genders, celebrate the achievements of Black women, and advance women's rights and gender equality.
Ogochukwu Onyemachi, Abimsola Naiwo, and Blessing Ewona, three skaters, were interviewed virtually by Bubblegum Club to learn more about the state of female and queer skating in Nigeria, what needs to be done, and most importantly, who they are as individuals within this new community.
Read more about it here.
