Aba

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~ Women against colonialism : the example of The Women’s War in Nigeria, part III ~ . 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, Okugo. In Oloko, the census was related to taxation, and women in the area were worried about who would tax them, especially during the period of hyperinflation in the late 1920s. The financial crash of 1929 impeded women's ability to trade and produce.  . In 1929, Emereuwa arrived at Nwanyereuwa's house. He told her to "count her goats, sheep and people." Since Nwanyereuwa understood this to mean, "How many of these things do you have so we can tax you based on them", she replied "that women don't pay tax in traditional Igbo society." The two exchanged angry words, and Emeruwa grabbed Nwanyeruwa by the throat. Nwanyeruwa went to the town square to discuss the incident with other women who happened to be holding a meeting to discuss the issue of taxing women. Based on Nwanyeruwa's account, they gathered nearly 10,000 women who protested at the office of Warrant Chief Okugo, demanding his resignation and calling for a trial. . Due to her contribution to the Women's War, Madame Nwanyeruwa is and still remains the name that comes up when bringing up the history of militancy of women in Nigeria, and has been said to be linked to the history of British colonialism. Nwanyereuwa played a major role in keeping the protests non-violent. Under her advice, the women protested in song and dance. As the revolt spread, other groups followed this pattern, making the women's protest a peaceful one. . Madam Mary Okezie (1906–1999) did not participate in the revolt, but she was very sympathetic to the women's cause. She was the only woman who submitted a memo of grievance to the Aba Commission of Inquiry (sent in 1930). Today, the major primary source for studying the revolt is the Report. After the revolt, Madam Okezie emerged as founder and leader of the Ngwa Women's Association. . Painting by the Nigerian painter Twins Seven Seven 🎨 #thewomenswar #womenfromhistory

A post shared by ~Women from History~ (@womenfromhistory) on Jul 8, 2020 at 10:29am PDT

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