Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 20 Nov. 2007. KEYWORDS: Gender Equality, Politics, Women, Electoral Process, . en has been most poorly researched. Writing in 1938, the anthropologist Melville Jean Herskovits imputed assumptions on woman-to-woman marriages that were, in the words of the anthropologist Eileen Jensen Krige, foreign to the institution. He insisted that it is not to be doubted that occasionally homosexual women who have inherited wealth utilize this relationship to the women they marry to satisfy themselves. Although he was operating on pure conjecture (no documented woman-to-woman marriages were known to be lesbian marriages), and while heterosexuality was certainly the dominant form of sexuality in pre-colonial Africa, Tamale notes that there is no doubt that same-sex copulation was also practised., An anxiety that historians discern in the historical record is how uncomfortable European travellers, and later anthropological accounts, were with the idea that their gendered worldview didnt easily map onto the societies they encountered. Things Fall Apart. In pre-colonial Anlo, age differentiated younger women from older women, younger men from older men. I was her first daughter, the ada of our family which, in Igbo, is a big deal. A. M. (1991). Yoruba society offered the greatest opportunities for women to participate in other economic activities such as manufacturing and trade. There basic job is to cook, clean and have the children. Women believed that providing such resources met their responsibility as women and citizens. Some days we were she/her and others, he/him. The biological makeup goes a long way in defining each individual's capabilities and the roles that can be best played by each sex and, in this case, gender. Gender inequality on the African continent has exacerbated as a result of colonialism, which disrupted the pre-colonial economic, cultural, and political systems on the African continent. 44, No. Accra: Woeli Publishing Services. Africa Media Review, 6(1), 1524. According to a study carried out by Ojalammi [1], 70 percent of agricultural labor is constituted by women, and women also produce 90 percent of all food. Women & Religion in Africa Gender & Power - University of Vermont Berkeley: University of California Institute of International Studies. In all of the above definitions, a form of the societal shift was captured, but worthy of note is that a one-sided shift may not necessarily be sufficient to explain the phenomenon. It concludes that each gender role, especially women's roles both at home and in the industry, is as essential as men's roles in the corporate and formal organization [13, 33]. Queen Amina of Zaria Queen Amina (also known as Queen Aminatu), was the elder daughter of Queen Bakwa Turunku, the founder of the Zazzau Kingdom in 1536. In 21 st century Nigeria for instance, changes have been witnessed in t he enrolment of women in What it meant to be a woman in many African pre-colonial societies was not rigid. 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. With what the slave trade and colonialism impliedthe more often forced, but sometimes voluntary movement of people across the Atlanticthese transgressive gender performances became the target of the inquisition. 24 February 2015. Econ. Women in African colonial histories. Therefore, an essential tool for society's development is understanding gender roles from the traditional African perspective, which is imperative for Africa's sustainable development. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77030-7_126-1, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77030-7_126-1, eBook Packages: Springer Reference HistoryReference Module Humanities and Social Sciences, Over 10 million scientific documents at your fingertips, Not logged in The status of women in indigenous African societies. Therefore, gender inequality was virtually non-existent. All these initiatives were targeted at intensifying the role of women in fostering societal developmental aims. Journal of African History, 34(3), 361401. International Review of Social History Women's participation in the national economy is about 11 percent compared with 30 percent for men. https://www.britannica.com/topic/role-of-Nigerian-women-1360615, Nigeria: Funmilayo Sessi, organized labour leader. Dipo and the politics of culture in Ghana. Overall, they have more responsibilities than before. History textbook: West African Senior School Certificate Examination. In most African societies, women possess enormous power that holds the society together [23]. In O. Nnaemeka (Ed. 169199). Women's Role in Post-Colonial Nigeria Precolonial and Post-Colonial Nigeria -With Christianity becoming a major religion in the region, women have been excluded from religious authority. Azu D., Egharevba M.D., Azuh A.E. Phillott-Almeida, R. (1994). Gender issues do not have much importance in African traditional societies because everybody has one role or the other to perform in the family and community [21]. In another light, Herbert Spenser's postulations' functionalist perspective views society as a multifaceted structure with different elements that must work in harmony to ensure the entire system's stability and survival. Pre Gender Roles. Gender norms, as noted by [2], assign specific roles, responsibilities, tasks, and privileges to both the female and male. . Historical studies on West Africa have neglected the arena of women's pre-colonial lives in favor of a heavy concentration on women's experiences and roles during the colonial era (Akyeampong 2000; Allman et al. She could control her children and influence men through this power. Sustainable development goals. Women and men's responsibility was viewed as complementing each other as a co-dependence, and ways of balancing existed. People can only realize complete independence as human beings if only they receive adequate recognition. (1993). Although they could be gifted to function in the workplace as in the economy and others also in governance, the fact remains that they are primarily created to build and manage homes and perform a very significant socialization role in the family. Diop, C. (1978). The table below shows the statistics of women traditional rulers in the Pre-colonial days in Nigeria. Among the Yoruba, they were the major figures in long-distance trade, with enormous opportunities for accumulating wealth and acquiring titles. The issue of gender, especially with the rise of "perceived inequality" and its effect on the developmental process of Africa and Nigeria in particular, taking cognizance of the relationships that hitherto existed in pre-colonial Africa, can be said to have emerged from a perceived lack of recognition of the roles played by a set of gender which of course is the female folk. Nevertheless, they occupy the informal or low-skill sector of the economy with little or no acknowledgment of efforts. Onwumah A., George T., Olonade O., Adetunde C. Factors militating against gender mainstreaming in Nigeria. This reveals the apparent reasons for the destruction of societal values, which are evident in many cultures in recent times. Annual report. Falola, T., & Amponsah, N. (2012). In L. Markovitz (Ed. Correspondence to In the Western context, these women would be considered breadwinners. Achebe, Chinua. Women, food, and rural development. Pre and Post Colonial Nigeria Pre-colonial: Supportive roles to men and family. She who blazed a trail: Akyaawa Yikwan of Asante. In Tamales view, these are state-orchestrated moral panics serving as decoys to distract from socioeconomic and political dysfunction. (2012). On the Gender Equality Index, out of 134 nations, Nigeria is 184 [26]. This work was supported by Centre for Research Innovation and Discovery, Covenant University. Shepard, T. (2015). Female agency in a cultural confluence: Women, trade and politics in seventeenth-eighteenth-century Gold Coast. Gender Roles in Pre-Colonial and Colonial Nigeria Pre-Colonial Citations Qualls, Alyssa."Women in Nigeria today." Postconsonantal Web. Oluwakemi S. Iwelumor, Matthew E. Egharevba, Bashiru Olalekan Idowu: Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools or data. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. Women ran their own political societies which held decision making powers in certain women-dominated spheres such as the marketplace, as well as broader social affairs relating to the village. The traditional Potters craft. Controversy over the existence of a gender order among the pre-colonial Yoruba in south-western Nigeria is growing within postcolonial scholarship, including among Western academics. As noted by Ikperha, the teachings generally were targeted towards promoting family life and sexual regulations among the unmarried. Kilson, M. (1976). Part of Springer Nature. PDF Monitoring Participation of Women in Politics in Nigeria Oyekanmi F.D. It is argued in the paper that gender imbalance in leadership is a bane to peaceful co-existence and development in Nigeria. "Culture of Nigeria." Every Culture.Web. The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77030-7_126-1, Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences. In chapter one, page one, it says that at a young age he won a match with Amazline the cat which brought honor and respect to the village. In: Yacob-Haliso, O., Falola, T. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies. Norwood: Ablex. The sociology of gender equality and development and development in democratizing Nigeria. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2009. With their arrival, they brought a rigid binary and patriarchal concept of gender which were deeply embedded into the fabric of the colonial empire. This, therefore, means that for women to attain complete independence as human beings, for them to play their roles even in families, and for there to be true gender equality and smooth relationships and, in turn, massive developments, love, respect, and esteem must be accorded them. However, with the diffusion of culture in her abode, several other order patterns resulting in agitations and gender tensions were passed down, which has created a new perception of inequality in gender roles and rewards and recognition. The concept of gender connotes the culturally and socially constructed roles with both men and women in society [2]. Pointing out that this development has recently become worrisome to some clamoring, the female folk are given unhindered access to contribute to the development and be involved in policy-making. Individuals and groups feel that it is their right to be recognized, and when the due honor is not being given to them, especially in a consistent manner, they feel that their right has been denied. Family survival and the future of marriage depend significantly on the African woman in traditional African society [22]. From marriage women are expected to play a submissive role to their husbands, do house work and domestic chores, farming, and bare many children. ), Feminism and power from Africa to the Diaspora (pp. . Ashanti law and constitution. However, this was weakened by the flexible gender system of traditional Igbo culture and language. To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use. 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Which means that since his father was known as weak and lazy, he wouldn't dare become something like his dad or his village would dishonor him. It's okay for males to have more than one wife, which is called Polygamy. Women in Africa and the African Diaspora. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal He assumed that he could beat her because he is a man and she is a women. The site is secure. IDS Bulletin, 10(9), 1319. A woman's position varied according to the (1) kinship structure of the group and (2) role of women within the economic structure of the society. The study adopted a desk research method using secondary data from previous studies (articles and official reports) and the British Council report. Some days we were she/her and others, he/him. ), Crisis and recovery in sub-Saharan Africa. Boulder: Westview Press. Ekwefia, one of Okonkwos wife, cuts leaves off banana tree. The kinship group expected women who married into a Yoruba or Igbo patrilineage to give birth to sons to ensure the future of the group. In examining sex and gender in Igbo society today, it is evident that colonisation was not just an event. some key roles, which are: mother, producer, home-manager, and community organizer, socio- . One aspect of this tribes culture that can be compared from past to present are gender roles. Women, State, and Ideology : Studies from Africa and Asia. The Life Of An Igbo Woman Pre-Colonial Times In the traditional Urhobo family system, females' influence on conventional society's moral strength was enduring. Gender, Class, and Culture in Colonial Nigeria Policies on gender like the 'affirmative action in Nigeria structured in most cases with the idea of 'gender equity and 'women empowerment,' and to also lend voices to women's support and increased opportunities for women's health, education, employment, and to improve their required socio-economic conditions [7]. Colonial Impacts: Yorb Gender and Sexuality - Confluence
