Igbo Women Research Articles

Patriarchal Restrictions and Maternal Manoeuvres: Igbo Women’s Quest for Land Inheritance Rights

Abstract We examine the nature of maternal manoeuvres practised by Igbo women of Nigeria in negotiating access to resources under the traditional restrictive customary system and the contemporary plural legal framework. While extant feminist scholarship on African patriarchy often highlights discrimination and violations of women’s property rights, it rarely acknowledges the subtle strategies women use to navigate male-dominated societies, especially regarding land rights and inheritance. Among the Igbo, women have instrumentalized certain practices that uphold the patriarchal system for land access, inheritance, and succession. While employing a mix of socio-legal and discourse analysis and collaborative autoethnography, our study explores the traditional phase of silent politics of access, including practices like the female husband or woman-to-woman marriage, traditional single parenthood (nrachi), levirate marriage (nkuchi), and concubinage. We also delve into the modern phase, where women use Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs), child adoption, litigation, and legal instruments for property access. Our findings show that despite patriarchal biases in land rights, women navigate and assert their resource access using both traditional and modern methods.

‘When extramarital sex threatens patriarchy’: the iwushi-miri rite among Mgbowo women of southeastern Nigeria

This study argues that not every instance of extramarital sexual intercourse among the Igbo women of southeastern Nigeria is adulterous. Using the sex-related rite of iwushi-miri (pouring of water) among the Mgbowo women of southeastern Nigeria (Igboland) as an example, the study explores the different means that the women have used in negotiating extramarital relationships, and sexual behaviours in the traditional, colonial and Christian patriarchal environments. The study brings together both ethnographic and feminist cultural resistance research to appraise the distinctions between punishable and culturally permitted extramarital sexual practices, and to highlight the role that extramarital sexual culture played in resisting the patriarchal domination of female sexuality in the age of empire. It also explores the challenges and the responses of Mgbowo women in negotiating extramarital relationships in a modern-day patriarchal setting. It sets out to explore how women’s sex power, agency and influence have been silenced in the colonial archives and mainstream scholarship. Through semi-structured interviews, the analysis of material culture, and participant observation, this study provides insight into traditional sexual culture(s), marital intercourse, and sex-related rituals among Mgbowo women.

A Socio-Pragmatic Perspective of Some Wealth Names Ascribed to Married Igbo Women in Nigeria

Through a socio-pragmatic perspective, this research examines some wealth names that are ascribed to the married Igbo women in Nigeria. The objectives are to project some aspects of misconception of the status of the married Igbo women and their implications, as well as to advocate for the positive and progressive approaches to the perception of the status of the married Igbo women. Leech’s (1983) Socio-pragmatics provides the theoretical orientation for this research. The data is a set of some wealth names collected, through observation technique, from the ascriptions used to address married women within the Igbo context across the southeastern part of Nigeria. The method of this research is qualitative. The methodological paradigm is interpretive, based on content analysis.

Dehumanization and Oppression of Females in Achebe's "Things Fall Apart"

African literature with its great reputation starts as an oral literature to a form of literature that is written in the languages of colonizers. It reveals many powerful cultural and political frameworks that impress to maintain displacement intact. Culture as a complicated social apparatus and regulation. This paper reveals dehumanization and oppression of females in the black continent. The place of women in Igbo cultural practices is depicted by Chinua Achebe in his famous book Things Fall Apart by highlighting the significant and vital role Igbo women play in the story. This was achieved by a thorough analysis of the book. depends on the important roles that women play in education, religion, society, and other spheres, as understood from the book. The conclusion of the essay is that women's status in Igbo culture is essential and fundamental to the survival of human civilization.

Gender and Notions of Autonomy in Igboland: An Assessment of Literatures on the Phenomenon of Female Husbands

The notions of autonomy in Igboland, or anywhere else, can be subjective, as it can conceptualised from an economic, cultural, gender or other standpoint. Gender autonomy, as conceptualised in this paper, focuses on how women in traditional Igbo culture married other women and assumed all the inherent functions and customary responsibilities thereon. Ifi Amadiume has elaborately documented this complex, institutionalised system of gender-bending in her groundbreaking book, Male Daughters, Female Husbands. Other writers of Igbo extraction, like Cheluchi Onyemelekwe and Akachi Adimora-Ezigbo’s books, Son of the House and Children of the Eagle, respectively, have addressed the phenomenon too. This essay is a metacritical analysis of Ifi Amadiume’s anthropological work, which explores the processes and nature of such relationships in Igboland, while also critically analysing the novels by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe and Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo which fictionalise the practice. The paper concludes by arguing that female-female marriage in Igbo land strongly indicates the strength, agency, and individuality of Igbo women and the density of the Igbo culture, thus necessitating its continuous study.

The role of Igbo women in peace building during the Nigerian civil war: 1967 – 1970

The salient roles of Igbo women during the Nigeria Civil War were a catalyst in the survival of many dying and suffering children, and the broken and frustrated Biafra soldiers. The roles too were important in the internal security of Igboland in the absence of the men who were on the war front to defend the fatherland. The devastation caused by the war affected the culture and traditional institutions of the Igbo, which in effect, posed a double challenge to the women. Igbo women were not only victims of the war, they were challenged too with roles of acting as heads of their various families and bridge builders in communal and inter-communal relations. The women amid uncertainties embarked individually and communally on peace-building processes. A spectrum of interventions embarked by the women to bring the end to the war spread across the area of health, business, international relations and food security through their salient actions, which enhanced and promoted human security and created positive peace in the land. This paper examines these roles played by Igbo women during the war and how their efforts helped bring about peace and hope during, and after the war period. Looking back and the devastation of that time, the Igbo women today would abhor any wars in Nigeria. We employ the conflict transformation theory in this narrative and conclude that Igbo women are creative peace-builders.

Depiction and Empowerment of Women in Indigenous Igbo Music

AbstractThis article aims to understand how modern Igbo women in a patriarchal, dynamic, and fast-globalizing southeastern Nigerian society interpret and create meaning through the concept and practice of traditional music. I employed ethnographic and musicological research methods and focused on the organization, performance practice, and musical contents of three Igbo women's ensembles. One of my major findings is that joint music-making efforts among Igbo women enhances bonding and reinforces group identity that yields psychological empowerment. I argue that the psychotherapeutic intentions of African music offer an ideal medium through which Igbo women can achieve psychological and social empowerment.

From the Editor

From the Editor

Strategies in obituary announcements of married Igbo women: a review

Death is a necessary end for every mortal. Conveying the news of a married woman’s death to her ancestral home in Igbo land is a delicate task that requires tact and skills. This work sets out to investigate how the message of the passing of a married woman is conveyed to her ancestral home to find out who breaks the news, the strategies involved in doing so, and the reason(s) behind employing such strategies. Five communities were purposively selected in Anambra State for the study. A mixed-method was used to source data. Face and Politeness theory propounded by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson serves as a guide for the study. Findings reveal that a spokesman from the deceased’s marital family or the deceased’s children might break the news of their mother/wife’s death. The breaking of the news is done stage by stage - from the stage of their daughter taking ill, to the stage of the ill-health being severe and finally leading to death. The stages involve the use of both verbal and non-verbal communications like idiomatic expressions, proverbs, euphemisms, snapping of fingers, and hisses to show members of her ancestral family how important their daughter was to them, the efforts they made to save her life, and indirectly exonerating themselves from complicity in her death. Additionally, a eulogy is outstanding as a rhetorical device in the exchange between the two families. The study concludes that the Igbo attach a high premium to a wife’s ancestral family, hence the tact in conveying the message.

Gender Discrimination in Igbo Society under the Covid-19: Its Effect on the Economy of Igbo Women of the Southeast Nigeria

This paper is targeted at analyzing how the current coronavirus affected the business of women in the south east of Nigeria. The current Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) outbreak has affected over 200 countries in the world including Nigeria. The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the global economy which Nigeria is inclusive. It has rendered many of the world's population impoverished. This article focuses on the economic impact of Covid-19 on the Igbo women of the south east. The article also reviews the recent trends and updates on the impact of Covid-19 aimed at further understanding of the problem of coronaviruses on the economy of the south east women in particular. The article is divided into different points; each points deals with the most important aspects of the Covid-19 on how it affected Igbo women’s economy in the south east of Nigeria. The first section describes the genesis of Covid-19 and methods of infection. The second sections described the economic impact of Covid-19 on Nigeria and how it affected the development of the state in the south east of Nigeria. It also focuses on the impact on the buying and selling of food stuffs. The other section reflected on the reactions of people and impact of Covid-19 on the economy of the south east women of Nigeria. The study recommends that governments should invest in health and education improvement and stimulate the economies of people to create employment that could propagate the growth and improve on the poverty alleviation and economic growth of the south east women of Nigeria.

Folk Songs and Social Realities: The Nsude Igbo Women Example

This study is aimed at documenting and analyzing the folk songs of Nsude women of South East Nigeria with the aim of understanding and reconstructing the traditional culture of the people which is shrinking in the face of westernization. The researcher observed that Christian songs and popular music have taken over the roles women previously performed by folk songs. The study argues that the decline in the use of folk songs by the womenfolk could be depriving the younger generations of the people certain values, beliefs, norms, and social practice which hitherto controlled behaviour and held the traditional society together, and as such stripping them of their culture and identity. Previous works on Igbo folk songs focused on documentation only, and some on the pedagogical roles of folk music. The present study addresses the folk songs sang by Nsude women so as to highlight the peculiarities of the people’s existence and philosophies.The songs were recorded from the researcher’s interaction with five elderly women from the town, as well as from her introspection. The analysis revealed that the songs in addition to being sources of enjoyment, entertainment and relaxation for all inculcates in the people the values to uphold and the vices to abhor for the harmonious existence of the community.

Ikwuano Women in 1929 Women’s Protest: A Recipe from Women War in Ancient Israel (Judges 4:4-24)

This paper focused on the uniqueness of Ikwuano women in terms of their contributions towards economic and political development, particularly around 1929 events. It aimed at accentuating the valiant role of Ikwuano Women in their gallant protest to claim their rights against household taxation by the British Colonial rule through the Warrant Chiefs. The research adopted a historical method to trace the role of women in the Ancient Israeli war in Judges 4:4-24 which applies to the Aba Women Protest. A historical examination shows that the 1929 so-called 'Aba Women Riot' was an Igbo women's traditional demonstration that allowed women to express their disapproval of any policy that infringes their human rights at that time. Foreign publishers used derogatory dictions such as riot, revolt, and war and later termed it “Aba Riot”, excluding women, probably because they were oblivious of the aforementioned protest in Igbo tradition or that they denied political fault of household taxation policy and assault to women as colonialists. The findings unveiled that the contributions of Ikwuano women to the political and economic development of Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, just as Deborah's and Jael’s exploits in Ancient Israel cannot be underestimated. The paper also investigated that the so-called Aba Women Riot of 1929 emanated from a clan called Oloko, in Ikwuano under Old Aba Province, as a protest which spread to Aba, Owerri, Calabar, and other Eastern Region of Nigeria. It gained international attention that resulted in the cancellation of Women's Taxation, the improvement of the national economy, and abrogation of the Warrant Chief System. The paper recommended the empowerment of Ikwuano Women, adequate support of the Government in revitalizing the production of cash crops in Ikwuano through mechanization and mass employment of indigenous youth in the aforementioned Institutes to alleviate poverty in the area. Lessons should be learned from women's war in ancient Israel contained in Judges 4:4-24, which reveals the inherent ability of women to promote national economy, peace, politics, and defense against external aggressions.

An Analysis of Nigerian Igbo Women's Petitions to U.S. Missionary Nurses in 1965.

An Analysis of Nigerian Igbo Women's Petitions to U.S. Missionary Nurses in 1965.

Vitamin D levels and antenatal complications in pregnant Nigerian Igbo women

Background: Serum levels of Vitamin D have been linked to some complications in pregnancy such as diabetes mellitus and premature rupture of membranes (PROM). While some studies suggest inverse relationship between serum Vitamin D levels and poor pregnancy outcomes, others report a J-shaped (curvilinear) or U-shaped relationship. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the relationship between serum Vitamin D and some selected pregnancy complications among pregnant Nigerian Igbo women. Subjects and Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study conducted on 256 consecutive consenting antenatal women in Anambra state, Southeastern Nigeria. Maternal blood obtained was assayed for 25 hydroxyvitamin D3 using high-pressure liquid chromatography. A pro forma was used to elicit information with respect to the biosocial characteristics of the subjects. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 23, and the relationship between Vitamin D levels and antenatal complications was determined using Chi-square at P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval being considered statistically significant. Results: The overall results showed that no participant had hypovitaminosis D. It also showed that there is maximum safe limit for serum Vitamin D beyond which the prevalence of hypertensive disorders/preeclampsia, preterm labor, and PROM rises. However, higher serum Vitamin D appears to be protective against clinical and laboratory-diagnosed malaria and malaria parasitemia. The study showed an inverse relationship between the degree of malaria parasitemia and serum Vitamin D levels. Conclusion: Despite the importance of Vitamin D in both skeletal and extra-skeletal health, there appears to be a safe upper limit. Therefore, Vitamin D supplementation should be reserved for proven cases of hypovitaminosis in pregnancy, especially in our locality where there is abundance of sunshine and low prevalence of hypovitaminosis D.

Vitamin D status and sociodemographic profile of pregnant Nigerian Igbo women

Vitamin D status and sociodemographic profile of pregnant Nigerian Igbo women

Gender, Conflict and Peace-Building in Africa: A Comparative Historical Review of Zulu and Igbo Women in Crisis Management

The male gender has often dominated the quest for societal security. Analysis and studies on security management and peace-building tend to advance the role of the male folk more than their female counterparts. This study traced the role of historic Zulu women in societal security management and compared it to the Aba Women's War that is popularly referred to as the Aba women riot. The study used the African developmental feminism theory to anchor its analysis. It maintained that these women rose at critical times to challenge the forces that planted insecurity in their societies. It found that they engaged in both strategic and reactive peace-building. The study also reveals the similarities and differences in Zulu and Igbo women intervention in conflict and security management. Finally, the researchers recommended considering the widespread nature of insecurity in many remote parts of Africa that have consistently led to the death of women and children. There should be a re-awakening of female security regiments in many African societies, and they should be trained to secure their lives and properties through community policing efforts.

Genderized Implications of Bride Pricing Culture in Igbo Land

The study aims at ascertaining the actual implication of bride pricing system in traditional marriages in Igbo land. A total of fifty respondents (thirty women and twenty men) from the five states that make up the southeast zone in Nigeria were selected for the study. Being a qualitative research, the study adopted the ethnographic research design and employed a purposive non-probability sampling method in selecting the respondents. The study made use of focused group discussions, unstructured interview and participants’ observation method as instruments of data collection. The collection of data lasted for a period of six months from June 2020 to November 2020. The research is anchored on Radical and Snail sense Feminism theories and data for the study were analysed using descriptive thematic method. Findings from the study reveal that payment of bride price does not reduce women to mere commodities in Igbo land. It also reveals that it gives undue privileges to men in Igbo land among other findings. Finally, it was shown that Igbo men and women still regard bride price payment as an important aspect of their culture which should not be abolished.

Rethinking ‘August Meeting’ in Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract ‘August Meeting’ is the annual homecoming or convention of Igbo women hometown associations of Southeastern Nigeria. For local communities in Southeastern Nigeria, August Meeting is a veritable platform for driving development, managing conflicts and building peace. But August Meeting is also a tool for hatching and promoting conflicts. While the conflict resolution and peacebuilding role of August Meeting has been acknowledged and applauded, its capacity for producing conflicts has been largely ignored. Drawing on a Nollywood film, August Meeting, and empirical research findings, this article exposes the ways in which August Meeting promotes interpersonal and intracommunal conflicts in Southeastern Nigeria.

Within the Whirlwind of the Encounter

Abstract In this interview with Okwui Okpokwasili, Kristin Juarez and the artist discuss Okpokwasili's iterative practice Sitting On a Man's Head as it took shape during her exhibition Utterances from the Chorus at Danspace Project (New York, New York) in 2020. Inspired by a form of Igbo women's protest called “sitting on a man,” Okpokwasili elaborates on the ways she utilizes slowness to generate somatic experiments in sociality. As they discuss the impact of slowness on the voice and body, Okpokwasili and Juarez consider the possibilities within the tremble and Juarez's notion of the trembling archive. Thinking with Saidiya Hartman's elaboration of the chorus, Okpokwasili's practice offers consideration of the archive as tremulous, in which fragments of imagination and memory cannot be disentangled. As she draws on an unruly lineage of embodied protest practices, the artist discusses the relationship between aesthetic forms and social formation. The interview also offers insight into Okpokwasili's ongoing conversations with Ralph Lemon, Asiya Wadud, and Tina Campt.

Ethnographic Study of Perspective and Attitude of Breastfeeding Mothers Towards the use of Elaeis Guineensis Sap As Galactagogue Among Igbo Women Oof Southeastern Nigeria

OBJECTIVE: As an age-old traditional practice, nursing mothers from southeastern Nigeria use the Elaeis guineensis sap (from the oil palm tree also referred to as palm wine) to induce and sustain lactation a few hours after delivery. This practice is still ongoing to date, despite the scarcity of clinical data supporting its efficacy and safety. This study aimed to generate preliminary data on the prevalence, perceptions, and behaviors related to the use of Elaeis guineensis sap as a galactagogue. STUDY DESIGN: Mothers who had breastfed or breastfeeding at the time of the survey, were invited to complete a questionnaire that asked about their, perceptions, efficacy, and possible side effects of Elaeis guineensis sap on both mother and child during breastfeeding. Chi-square analysis was used to conduct data analysis. RESULT: A total of 5002 mothers completed the survey with 61% reporting use of Elaeis guineensis sap (palm wine) following parturition. Most of the respondents (73%) attained tertiary education. The practice was mostly recommended by direct relatives (38%) while the commonest reason for this practice was perceived insufficient milk production (32.2%). The majority of the respondents (52%) were satisfied with the outcome while 44% reported no negative side effects. CONCLUSION: The use of Elaeis guineensis sap by mothers following parturition is common in south-eastern Nigeria. However, randomized control studies are needed to provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of this plant product. This will be relevant to the formation of intercultural health policies which will value and respect the positive cultural practices of a people.