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Women's War
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Women's War
The Women's War (Igbo: Ogu Umunwanyi; Ibibio and Annang: Ekong Iban) was a period of unrest in colonial Nigeria in November 1929. The protests broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and other places in Nigeria traveled to the town of Oloko to protest against the warrant chiefs, local men appointed by British colonial authorities to serve as administrative representatives and had no precedent in Igbo tradition, whom they accused of restricting the role of women in the government. The protest encompassed women from six ethnic groups (Igbo, Ibibio, Andoni, Ogoni, Efik, and Ijaw).
The term war in this context did not refer to combat but instead referenced the Igbo women's practice of 'making war on a man' (or 'sitting on a man'), a form of public shaming. It was organised and led by the rural women of Owerri and Calabar provinces. The modus operandi of the protests involved 'sit-in' by the women. During the events, many warrant chiefs were forced to resign, and 16 Native Courts were attacked, most of which were destroyed. It was the first major revolt by women in West Africa.
In 1930, the colonial government abolished the system of warrant chieftains, and appointed women to the Native Court system. These reforms were built upon by African women and have been seen as a prelude to the emergence of mass African nationalism.
The event that ultimately led to the war was the introduction of direct taxation. In April 1927, the colonial government in Nigeria took measures to enforce the Native Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance. A colonial resident, W. E. Hunt, was commissioned by the lieutenant governor of Nigeria to explain the provisions and objects of the new ordinance to the people throughout the five provinces in the Eastern Region. This was to prepare the ground for the introduction of direct taxation due to take effect in April 1928. Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. In September 1929, Captain J. Cook, an assistant District Officer, was sent to take over the Bende division temporarily. Upon taking over, Cook found the original nominal rolls for taxation purposes inadequate because they did not include details of the number of wives, children, and livestock in each household. He set about revising the nominal roll. This exercise brought the colonial authorities into direct conflict with women in Eastern Nigeria.
The announcement of Cook's intention to revise the nominal roll was made to a few chiefs in Oloko Native Court and the counting began about October 14, 1929. The women of Oloko suspected that the enumeration exercise was a prelude to the extension of direct taxation, which had been imposed on the men the previous year. The financial crash of 1929 impeded women's ability to trade and produce so they sought assurance from the colonial government that they would not be required to pay taxes. Faced with a halt in their political demands, the women settled that they would not pay taxes nor have their property appraised.
On the morning of November 18, the Aba Women's War was sparked by a dispute between a woman named Nwanyeruwa and a man, Mark Emereuwa, who was helping to make a census of the people living in the town controlled by the warrant chief Okugo. He instructed her to count her goats, sheep, and people, which she understood as preparation for taxing her. She replied, "Was your widowed mother counted?", invoking the Igbo tradition that women do not pay tax. The two exchanged angry words, and Emereuwa grabbed her by the throat. Nwanyeruwa went to the town square, where women were already meeting to discuss the threat of taxation, and relayed the incident. The women sent palm-oil leaves to summon others from the Bende District, Umuahia, and Ngwa, gathering nearly 10,000 women who protested at the office of warrant chief Okugo, demanding his resignation and calling for a trial.
The protest was led by three women known as the Oloko Trio: Ikonnia, Nwannedia, and Nwugo, who were known for their persuasion, intelligence and passion. When protests became tense, it was often these three who were able to de-escalate the situation, preventing violence. However, after two women were killed while blocking roads as a form of protest, the trio was not able to calm the situation, and the police and army were sent to the town.[1]
Nwanyeruwa helped keep the early protests nonviolent, as women used song, dance, and "sitting" on the warrant chiefs to pressure them to resign. As the revolt spread, other groups adopted similar tactics. Some came to Nwanyeruwa to get written statements of the protests demands which she summarized as "women will not pay tax till the world ends [and] Chiefs were not to exist any more."[2] However, as the revolt spread, many women rioted and attacked Chiefs, destroying their homes, and the movement came to be seen as violent.
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Women's War
The Women's War (Igbo: Ogu Umunwanyi; Ibibio and Annang: Ekong Iban) was a period of unrest in colonial Nigeria in November 1929. The protests broke out when thousands of Igbo women from the Bende District, Umuahia and other places in Nigeria traveled to the town of Oloko to protest against the warrant chiefs, local men appointed by British colonial authorities to serve as administrative representatives and had no precedent in Igbo tradition, whom they accused of restricting the role of women in the government. The protest encompassed women from six ethnic groups (Igbo, Ibibio, Andoni, Ogoni, Efik, and Ijaw).
The term war in this context did not refer to combat but instead referenced the Igbo women's practice of 'making war on a man' (or 'sitting on a man'), a form of public shaming. It was organised and led by the rural women of Owerri and Calabar provinces. The modus operandi of the protests involved 'sit-in' by the women. During the events, many warrant chiefs were forced to resign, and 16 Native Courts were attacked, most of which were destroyed. It was the first major revolt by women in West Africa.
In 1930, the colonial government abolished the system of warrant chieftains, and appointed women to the Native Court system. These reforms were built upon by African women and have been seen as a prelude to the emergence of mass African nationalism.
The event that ultimately led to the war was the introduction of direct taxation. In April 1927, the colonial government in Nigeria took measures to enforce the Native Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance. A colonial resident, W. E. Hunt, was commissioned by the lieutenant governor of Nigeria to explain the provisions and objects of the new ordinance to the people throughout the five provinces in the Eastern Region. This was to prepare the ground for the introduction of direct taxation due to take effect in April 1928. Direct taxation on men was introduced in 1928 without major incidents. In September 1929, Captain J. Cook, an assistant District Officer, was sent to take over the Bende division temporarily. Upon taking over, Cook found the original nominal rolls for taxation purposes inadequate because they did not include details of the number of wives, children, and livestock in each household. He set about revising the nominal roll. This exercise brought the colonial authorities into direct conflict with women in Eastern Nigeria.
The announcement of Cook's intention to revise the nominal roll was made to a few chiefs in Oloko Native Court and the counting began about October 14, 1929. The women of Oloko suspected that the enumeration exercise was a prelude to the extension of direct taxation, which had been imposed on the men the previous year. The financial crash of 1929 impeded women's ability to trade and produce so they sought assurance from the colonial government that they would not be required to pay taxes. Faced with a halt in their political demands, the women settled that they would not pay taxes nor have their property appraised.
On the morning of November 18, the Aba Women's War was sparked by a dispute between a woman named Nwanyeruwa and a man, Mark Emereuwa, who was helping to make a census of the people living in the town controlled by the warrant chief Okugo. He instructed her to count her goats, sheep, and people, which she understood as preparation for taxing her. She replied, "Was your widowed mother counted?", invoking the Igbo tradition that women do not pay tax. The two exchanged angry words, and Emereuwa grabbed her by the throat. Nwanyeruwa went to the town square, where women were already meeting to discuss the threat of taxation, and relayed the incident. The women sent palm-oil leaves to summon others from the Bende District, Umuahia, and Ngwa, gathering nearly 10,000 women who protested at the office of warrant chief Okugo, demanding his resignation and calling for a trial.
The protest was led by three women known as the Oloko Trio: Ikonnia, Nwannedia, and Nwugo, who were known for their persuasion, intelligence and passion. When protests became tense, it was often these three who were able to de-escalate the situation, preventing violence. However, after two women were killed while blocking roads as a form of protest, the trio was not able to calm the situation, and the police and army were sent to the town.[1]
Nwanyeruwa helped keep the early protests nonviolent, as women used song, dance, and "sitting" on the warrant chiefs to pressure them to resign. As the revolt spread, other groups adopted similar tactics. Some came to Nwanyeruwa to get written statements of the protests demands which she summarized as "women will not pay tax till the world ends [and] Chiefs were not to exist any more."[2] However, as the revolt spread, many women rioted and attacked Chiefs, destroying their homes, and the movement came to be seen as violent.