emerged from the 192960 women’s war when the colonial government failed short of the Igbo
women’s favour on economic standard of operation. As the English colonial rule suddenly imposed direct taxation on every household and local industry production mainly ran and operated by Igbo women (Afigbo 1972:2). This women protest brought to the open the place and role of Igbo women who came at the forefront to stamp out the centralisation of economy other than the decentralised system that the Igbo society was known for.
The place and role of the woman among the Igbo Ohacracy people is very crucial and highly valued. Agbasiere (2000:8) identifies the place of woman in the Ohacracy order indicating that: “…woman is seen as a ‘gift’ to society, an ethical being who confers some status on the man, one who is an upholder of morality.” By so observing, the presence of women identifies the identity and responsibility of a man. For a man to engage into marriage with a woman among the Igbo means a family is established and responsibility conferred. Womanhood completes the man and assures the continuity of the social order.
Some Igbo proverbs, personal names and daily semantics illustrate these roles played by women: Nwanyi maramma k’eji aga mba that is, (the beautiful woman leads the entire community to another community); or Agwa bu mma nwanyi (good manners constitute the woman’s beauty); Ada Eze (the Kings princess) Nneka (mother is supreme); Agunwanyi (the lioness); Eze Nwanyi (the woman King); Nnenwobi (mother owns the family homestead);
Adaku (first daughter signifies wealth); Nnenwubi (mother owns the farm) and the host of
others (see Onwurah, 1984:40 and Ifemesia, 2002:96).
Most of these expressions indicate or can be interpreted that, a well behaved/good woman is the beauty pride, prestige, honour, respect of her community. This means that though in some instances, the Igbo semantics could be misinterpreted or misappropriated in relation to women. It must be noted here that though the Igbo Ohacracy order indicate by positive names towards the woman; but in reality does not always hold meaning. The exploitation of the
60 This was the first women’s protest in the colonial Africa. The Igbo Ohacracy system provided the women
equality with men in the Igbo cultural practice by which they expressed themselves inasmuch as the need arrives. The clash of the central system of governance with the decentralised system of the Igbo Ohacracy model was very much in the open and thanks to the free expression of the women of 1929.
womanhood in issues relating to bride prize indicates most of the times a ‘trading’ bargain of the womanhood. Such names like Adaku (meaning first daughter signifies wealth) represent such abuses in the Ohacracy order.
The Igbo Ohacracy decentralised order goes further in acknowledging and reorganizing the person of the woman. For instance the Ofo in the Ohacracy governance which serves as the symbol of leadership and truth is entrusted to the Opkara (first male borne); the woman is entrusted with the Ogu. The Ogu is a feminine word of mouth that is pronounced at the point of judgement and final trial of any case that the Ofo is used to finalize. By this action, the Igbo woman shares with the male counterparts in the symbolic protection of justice, leadership and truth in the Igbo Ohacracy governance. It is to this fact that Ukpokolo (2010:179) clarifies as he notes:
He is thus, the living representative of the ancestors and the holder of the
Ofo…of the unit that he leads. While men hold the Ofo the women are
assumed to hold the Ogu which is supposed to be the feminine symbol of justice. …the issue is that while Ofo is assumed to be masculine and can only be in the possession of the man, Ogu is assumed to be feminine.
The following summaries are more ways women function and contribute towards the
Ohacracy governance tradition among the Igbo:
I. The woman is the provider in the absence of the man; devoting more time and sustaining the family and the household; hence being identified with such activities as agriculture, local industries, trade, craft, salt production, pottery and textile industries (weaving) (see Afigbo, 2005:224 and Ifemesia, 2002:62).
II. She is also revered as the continuous social trainer for self and for the community. Her duty of training is focused upon leadership, industry and above all, for her organizational ability which keeps the community together.
III. The woman has a political power expression, which could be seen as a ‘consultative voice’, extensive consultation is regularly carried out over important matters that affect the larger Igbo Ohacracy governance population (see Agbasiere 2000:37 and Afigbo, 2005:266).
IV. The women council of elders in the Igbo Ohacracy order try cases concerning community and play a general role as advisers. Such issues like the relocation of a market place (Aderinto and Falola 2010:86).
V. They serve as the ‘watchdogs’ and political pressure group of public morality. They acclaim openly distinguished community leader but ridicule in song and mimic an incompetent or brutal leader or person to sanction and enforce discipline and restore order (Duru 1980:127-131; Allen, 1972:168). As political pressure groups they engage in public demonstrations organised for or against a particular decision or behaviour of persons and families that are not compatible with the Igbo Omenala61, the famous 1929
Igbo women’s protest or Women’s Riot (Afigbo 2005:266) is a clear example.
In recent times Igbo women have assumed another level of social role towards Igbo development. Hence the newly acquired roles resulting from the ‘career women’ who not only work hard as house wives but are also the ladies of the home in combination with their city modern day careers. In the midst of all this, the Igbo Ohacracy people regard the ‘motherhood’ of the woman as authentic in the context of the modern development of culture and tradition since she is seen as a gift to the Igbo Ohacracy order as one who confers some status on all and the upholder of morality (Agbasiere 2000:4-8). In the light of the role of women within the Igbo Ohacracy as describe above that this study critically proposes a participatory approach of governance that calls the centralised Roman Catholic system to loosen up and allow the women to contribute their gifts and talents to the entire community of God’s people. It is by so doing that the church will be able to demonstrate an alternative thinking to the society whose dealing with women continues to be oppressive. The section that follows discusses the umuada (women’s group) event among the Igbo Ohacracy.