MY AWANI STORY

OUR GREAT GRANDMOTHERS WERE FEMINISTS

The first time I watched a documentary about Nigeria’s history, I was 12. The film was about three hours long and mostly talked about the great men behind Nigeria’s independence; I remember wondering why women did not actively contribute to our independence. Sometimes, I feel like beating my twelve-year-old self for that. The documentary made little to no mention of women’s achievements but then again I slept through half of it and was zoned out for the most part. In my defense, the film was projected in black and white!

History conveniently managed to portray women as marginalized and helpless figures who did nothing but be oppressed. The Awani film is one of the few historical documentaries that accurately show the lives women lived before, during and after the colonial rule- which was responsible for the patriarchal system that disenfranchised women as well as limited their presence in education, politics and economics. While women were already subjugated by the Nigerian culture, the colonial rule further turned them into subservient second-class citizens.

Last year, I decided to write a short story titled ‘our mothers should have been feminists.’ I wanted to depict a historically accurate picture about how women would be in a better place now if our female ancestors had fought against patriarchy. I did a lot of research on women during the colonial era. When I was done researching, I renamed the title of my story to, ‘our great grandmothers were feminists’ and retold the Aba women’s rebellion because those women were amazing. Side note; Madam Nwanyereuwa -the woman who led the Aba women’s rebellion- was and is a whole queen!

I think I now understand why that documentary I watched when I was 12 did not go deep into the achievements of women and their contribution towards Nigeria’s growth. Three hours would not have been enough to show it all. In the struggle for Nigeria’s independence from the British colonial “masters,” women organized and led political, humanitarian, and socio economic movements that defined our history

After watching the Awani film, I read up more on women like Alimotu Pelewura- who practically paved the way for other women activists, Queen Amina, Queen Okwei of Osomari and I was filled with pride. I cannot believe documented history had the audacity to passively say Funmilayo Ransome Kuti was the first woman to drive a car as if the constitution at the time did not allow women to own even bicycles.

Every woman, scratch that, everybody should watch the Awani film. We need to know that our great grandmothers were feminists; we need to understand that they were not passive figures, it would be a disservice to great women like Margaret Ekpo, Hajia Gambo Sawaba(who is now my role model by the way) amongst many others if we continue to let history minimize their accomplishments.

Nigerian women were never passive, there were inspirational women who made moves to lead, overcome and conquer. It’s their activism for me!