Nigerian Women's Protest Flashcards
What were the key events
- Native Revenue Ordination introduced in 1928 to women. This involved the highly controversial task of ‘counting women’.
2.The role of women in Nigeria was varied and pre-colonial rule and during they had power in the domestic sphere and in the marketplace.
3.Women had no political power so protested
What were some of the methods of protest
Dance, humiliate men in sexual ways and physically, Dancing, banging on huts. Releasing prisoners. Largest but not the first protest.
Effects and results
Short term-
55 women shot. 2 ran over by doctor. Put down. Pardoning of Mark Emerawu
Changed face of gender ideology in Nigeria. Women replaced warrant chiefs in some areas. Changed protests and inspired them in 30s-50s. Warrant chief terms introduced.
What is the main primary source document
The main source is the Aba Commission documents in the National Archives. There are also British depictions such as J Cook who looked at his region and captured early dissent. In the 70s and 80s, African historians used oral history but these can’t be found now.
What does the Aba commission show us.
British reaction of trying to understand riots. Also facts and figures and death toll.
What was the first spark
Mark Emeruwa and Nyewaranu fight ‘count your mother’ and pouring oil. Woman strangled. Depicted in the aba commission
Limitations of Aba Commission
Doesn’t take into account the Nigerian language fully and already lacks the Nigerian female perspectieve.
Who are some of the imperial historians
Harry Gailey and Margery Perham
What do Gailey and Perham argue (imperial historians)
Not a war but rather a riot, emotion led, not effective. Not about gender. (racist outlook?)
AE Afigbo
African scholar who embraces the term ‘riot’ but saw it as a result of warrant chief system and not gender.
What did early historiography argue
Blamed taxation solely which insinuated that women lied in the aba commission
Who were some of the African feminist scholars
Judith van Allen and Caroline Ifeka Moller.
What did Judith Van Allen believe
It used traditional methods of protest that predated colonial rule
What did Caroline Ifeka Moller argue
That it was new methods and that they revolutionised Igbo femininity and women protest
