A VOICE FOR WOMEN - by Zipporah Nwachukwu

I’m not interested in the ongoing issue between Igbo men and women. As far as I’m concerned, Igbo men are the most hyped men in all of Africa. I am of the opinion that Igbo men of old—of yesteryears—deserved the hype. But not anymore. The Igbo men of today are living off the past glories of their forefathers, which they no longer deserve. Without going into why they no longer deserve that glory, let me address a fallacy I keep seeing: the claim that Igbo men gave Igbo women a voice. It is completely untrue that Igbo men gave Igbo women a voice. Anyone who believes that—even if they are 100 years old (I add this to preempt older people claiming age gives them greater insight)—lacks knowledge of our history as Ndi Igbo. Both the documented and undocumented histories of Ndi Igbo show that Igbo women have always had a voice. 1. consider one of the oldest and most important books: Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, which explores Igbo life before the missionaries. The most spiritually powerful individual in that book was Chielo. Chielo was a woman—a priestess of Agbala, oracle of the hills and the caves. She was one of the most powerful figures in the clan, and no important decision could be made without her approval. Even the feared Okonkwo was afraid of her. No one dared challenge her authority. Chielo played a vital role in guiding the clan. She was the intermediary between the people of Umuofia and the gods—the sole earthly authority, obeyed by all. In contrast, in Elechi Amadi’s The Concubine, the medicine man was Anyika, a male. The Concubine was published in 1966, while Things Fall Apart was published earlier, in 1958. 2. It is also worth noting that Ala, the earth goddess, is female. Ala is the deity associated with earth, fertility, and creativity. In fact, Ala is the mother of all deities. She is responsible for upholding Igbo laws and customs, known as Omenala. In Igbo mythology, Ala is generally regarded as the most revered deity. Amadioha may be powerful, but he is subordinate to Ala. 3. Ndi Igbo are the only ethnic group in Nigeria known to have had a female king. Her name was Ahebi Ugbabe, from Enugu-Ezike. Her mother was Ugbabe Ayibi, and her father was Anekwu Amehin. She was the only female king in British Nigeria. Ugbabe ruled for 30 years and died in 1948. As king, she presided over court cases. Women who were abused by their husbands fled to her palace. She would then become their “female husband” and contract eligible men to sleep with them, though all the women lived in her palace. Ahebi Ugbabe also married wives for herself, paying their bride prices. She then arranged for men to have intercourse with them, but she claimed the paternity of the children they bore. Before she died in 1948, she even performed her own burial rites in 1946. So when some people—especially Igbo men—ask why a woman should bear the title of king, I laugh at their ignorance. It has already happened—in Igboland. Today, in present-day Anioma, there is also a female king known as the Omu of Anioma, who can only marry a woman. The former Omu was HRM Obi Martha Dunkwu, while the current Omu is HRM Omu Onyebuchi Okonkwo. 4. Before the arrival of Christianity, the Igbo woman could never be said to be barren. If she was unable to bear children, she married wives for her husband. This was one of the oldest forms of adoption in Africa. There are many more examples, but this is already getting long. The truth is, Igbo men have Christianity to thank for the current status of Igbo women. If not for that influence, things could have turned out very differently—perhaps even more “threatening” for those who now question women's roles and voices.

Other insights from Zipporah Nwachukwu