For years, the average Nigerian woman has had to contend with a patriarchal society that has sought to subjugate her innate leadership abilities and silence her voice in matters of governance and politics. It may seem that the 21st-century woman, armed with a voice and numbers, would break this jinx. However, to forge ahead, we must first delve into the past.
The Aba women’s riot holds a valuable lesson to be learnt. According to research, the riot was a revolt that broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and women from the other eastern places protested against the Warrant Chiefs who they accused of restricting the role of women in the government. The Women’s Riot took months for the government to suppress and became a historic example of feminist and anti-colonial protest.
Before the colonial invasion, these women traditionally participated in governance and held major roles. Men and women worked collaboratively in the domestic sphere and were recognized to both have important individual roles. However, this set up changed and was altered by colonial interference which sought to monopolize political power by creating a patriarchal and masculine order, ignorantly believed would curb ‘chaos’.
Only recently did I stumble upon this story, because unfortunately during my primary and secondary education, teachers were guided by our whitewashed curriculum to share the historical creation of Nigeria by Lord Lugard and the proper pronunciation of the Queen’s English.
This story which focuses on the bravery of Nigerian women points to two focal lessons: we were not always kept in the shadows politically and we are indeed stronger together.
Who We Were
It is a known fact that colonialism disturbed the order of our civilization, coercing us to adopt the white man’s skewed ideologies; unfortunately, many today are unaware that patriarchy is a colonial construct. Prior to this, African women governed kingdoms, established cities, launched military conquests, and founded states. Some governed as sole rulers often as queens, while others governed together with a king, as a mother or sister of the king. And as stated earlier, positions held by Nigerian women, especially, were complementary rather than subordinate.
Further study shows that, in politics, Nigerian women were not as docile or powerless as contemporary literature tends to portray us. (But hasn’t that always been the ploy – to portray Nigerians as primitive and helpless?)
Women Are Stronger Together
As women, we have the power and ability to crumble any system that doesn’t work in our favour. Worldwide, there is a long history of collective action by women putting an end to suppression, oppression and patriarchy. Being aware of what other women have accomplished historically should help boost confidence in our abilities. Hence, the importance of digging our noses into history can’t be overemphasized.
According to Marcus Garvey, “A people without the knowledge of the past history, origin and culture is like a tree without its roots.”
Today, in light of these realities, I have never been more proud of being a woman.