Why thousands of Nigerian women declared war on British colonial authorities in 1929
In short: In November 1929, Igbo women launched a massive revolt across southeastern Nigeria, challenging colonial taxation and the imposition of warrant chiefs. By utilizing traditional methods of public shaming known as sitting on a man, these women successfully dismantled colonial administrative structures and paved the way for future nationalist movements.
The Women's War, or Ogu Umunwanyi, began when colonial authorities attempted to revise nominal rolls for taxation purposes in the Bende division. Women suspected this enumeration was a prelude to direct taxation, which had been imposed on men the previous year. Tensions peaked on November 18, 1929, after a dispute between a woman named Nwanyeruwa and a census official, Mark Emereuwa, over the counting of her livestock.
The protest movement utilized a traditional Igbo practice called sitting on a man, which involved gathering at a target's compound to sing, dance, and detail grievances. This nonviolent pressure forced many warrant chiefs to resign. However, the movement escalated as women attacked 16 Native Courts and looted European factories. By the time colonial troops restored order in January 1930, approximately 55 women had been killed.
The Aba Commission of Inquiry, established in March 1930, investigated the disturbances by interviewing 485 witnesses. The findings led to significant administrative reforms, including the abolition of the warrant chief system and the appointment of women to the Native Court system for the first time. Scholars argue that labeling the event as the Aba Riots depoliticizes the feminist dimension of the uprising, whereas the term Women's War centers the agency of the participants.
The legacy of the revolt was profound, inspiring subsequent tax protests and the rise of gender ideology in Nigerian social action. Mary Okezie, who submitted a grievance memo to the commission, later founded the Ngwa Women's Association. The event remains a historical dividing point, marking the first major revolt by women in West Africa and a precursor to mass African nationalism.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Women's War
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