Feminist Self-Care Beyond Capitalism

But in the blink of an eye, we witnessed some of the nationwide protests degenerate into nights of concerts, music and even a teaser for a pageantry. However, the most disturbing element was the commodification of the movement itself. In a few weeks, brands began to sell Soro Soke ‘merch’ using different platforms. ‘Soro Soke’, which translates to ‘speak up’, was a rallying cry for Nigerian youths who were demanding an end to police brutality. It represents a rejection of silence and oppression, a symbol of resistance that urges people to raise their voices against injustice. Simply put, Nigerians were protesting for their right to life. For many Nigerians, the term represents the pain and history of the ones we have lost. When we say ‘Soro Soke’, we think of people like Bolanle Raheem, a pregnant woman who was shot and killed on Christmas Day in 2022 in the presence of her family. We think about the peaceful protesters shot at Lekki Toll Gate on 20 October 2020. We do not think of it as wearable items or things that should be profited off of like the ‘Soro Soke Denim Jacquard’.

A popular influencer had also released a collection of candles and named it ‘Soro Soke’. Although she did issue an apology and withdrew the candles from the market, the fact remains that the very core of things that are personal and collective to us have been slaughtered at the altar of capitalism. Think about the very core issues that we create movements for and see how capitalism has encroached upon them. When we reduce our movements to disembodied fashion items, we dilute their radical potential, spirit and letters, turning our activism into mere consumer products. We shift the focus from systemic change to individual expressions, which makes activism only about performative participation. With this, we disconnect the struggles behind movements, and activism only becomes a tool that benefits capitalism. For instance, what does the Soro Soke dress do for or tell someone who has never heard of the #EndSARS movement before? What does it tell someone who encounters the movement through its ‘merch’ first? It evokes no sense of solidarity or empathy. This, by itself, dishonours the sheer will and power of the movement.

Today, brands have co-opted ideologies and movements to suit a single narrative. Feminism is now often reduced to slogans on T-shirts, surface-level campaigns by organizations that promote ‘empowerment’ but fail to address systemic issues like gender discrimination at management level or wage gaps. Empowerment has often been reduced to individualistic success stories, constantly celebrating ‘giant strides’ but core issues such as unpaid care work, lack of access to sexual reproductive health and rights are conveniently ignored. Think of #BlackLivesMatter and the sales of stickers, shirts and beanies, the constant superficial campaigns held by organizations who have refused to address racism and discrimination at their workplaces.

Self-care has been co-opted into this capitalist consumerist culture as well. What is meant to serve as a revolutionary act is now characterized by luxurious living and activities. Pleasing the self and funding expensive services—spa days, retail therapy, lighting candles, vacations and massages are surface-level things we have now come to refer to as self-care. Brands are constantly partnering with influencers to promote their ‘self-care’ products and promote their taglines and hashtags. While all these may seem harmless, a deep understanding of the history of self-care shows that the idea of caring for oneself by engaging in acts that are only accessible to people with money or other forms of privileges is harmful.