As I’ve grown up and am traveling the world, I’ve noticed some differences between my upbringing and that of people from other cultures. This seems interesting to talk about.
The role of women in Nigerian society has undergone significant transformation over the years. This evolution reflects a broader global trend towards recognizing and harnessing the potential of women in various sectors of society. Traditionally, Nigerian society has been patriarchal, with women primarily responsible for domestic duties and child-rearing. Social norms and cultural practices often restricted women’s access to education, employment, and leadership roles.
Traditional Roles and Expectations
As a Nigerian woman:
- I subconsciously think every woman (not every man) should know how to cook.
In my country, eating out was not something we regularly did; it’s something we did as a celebration. Although this is quickly becoming a thing in Nigeria, our mothers still frown. For the men, they scold them to get a wife that’ll feed them, and for the women, it was/is a sign that you’re not ready to keep a home 😄. I know, I know! Not in this age of feminism, right? But growing up, we were trained that it’s the woman who takes care of the home, and if she didn’t know how to cook, she was an incompetent wife.
It’s still a little weird for me to see people, especially from western cultures, say they do not know how to cook or eat in restaurants every single day.
Read also: The Ballads of Johnny Horton
Historical Context
From precolonial times to the early 21st century, the role and status of women in Nigeria have continuously evolved. However, the image of a helpless, oppressed, and marginalized group has undermined their proper study, and little recognition has been granted to the various integral functions that Nigerian women have performed throughout history.
In the precolonial period, women played a major role in social and economic activities. Division of labour was along gender lines, and women controlled such occupations as food processing, mat weaving, pottery making, and cooking. Moreover, land was communally owned, and women had access to it through their husbands or parents. Although a man was the head of the household in a patrilineal system, older women had control of the labour of younger family members.
Women were also central to trade. Among the Yoruba, they were the major figures in long-distance trade, with enormous opportunities for accumulating wealth and acquiring titles. The most successful among them rose to the prestigious chieftaincy title of iyalode, a position of great privilege and power.
In politics, women were not as docile or powerless as contemporary literature tends to portray them. The basic unit of political organization was the family, and in the common matrifocal arrangement, which allowed a woman to gain considerable authority over her children, a woman and her offspring could form a major bloc in the household. Power and privileges in a household were also based on age and gender, thereby allowing senior women to have a voice on many issues. Because the private and public arenas were intertwined, a woman’s ability to control resources and people in a household was at the same time an exercise in public power. She could use food production to gain respect. She could control her children and influence men through this power. She could evoke the power of the spirit or gods in her favour. Or she could simply withdraw and use the kitchen as her own personal domicile for interaction with her colleagues, friends, and children.
Beyond the household level, power was generally dominated by men, but in many areas specific titles were given to women. The queen mother, a powerful title among the Edo and Yoruba, could be bestowed upon the king’s mother or a free woman of considerable stature. In her own palace, the queen mother presided over meetings, with subordinate titleholders in her support. Yoruba and Hausa legends describe periods when women were either the actual kings or heroines. Such women as Moremi of Ile-Ife and Amina of Zaria are notable legendary figures, as are the powerful queens in the Ondo and Daura histories.
Read also: Correct Niger Pronunciation
The most serious threat to the influence and privileges of women occurred during the 20th century, when patriarchy combined with colonial changes to alter gender relations. As male chiefs collaborated with the British colonial administration in collecting taxes and governing, the position of female chiefs declined in importance. When the economy became increasingly geared toward the production of cash crops for export, Nigerian men and European firms dominated the distribution of rubber, cocoa, groundnuts (peanuts), and palm oil. Women, pushed to the background, were forced to shift to the production of subsistence crops. A previous land-tenure system that had prevented land alienation gave way to land commercialization, favouring those with access to money gained from the sale of cash crops. Western-style education also favoured boys over girls and thus largely excluded women from many of the new occupations introduced by colonialism.
Nigeria: Education Girls from the Bethel Nursery and Primary School in Lagos browsing through the books in the iRead Mobile Library, January 2018. The iRead initiative was launched in 2013 by Funmi Ilori, an educational psychologist and consultant.
The most powerful agency of change for the modern woman has been Nigeria’s formal education system, from which a large number of elite women have emerged. Intelligent, educated, and confident, they can be found in all leading occupations; they now challenge many aspects of patriarchy and are gradually organizing to ensure that the political arena expands sufficiently to accommodate them.
Contemporary Challenges and Progress
Nigerian media often exhibit bias against women in public appointive positions at the national level, portraying them as weak and incompetent and questioning their credibility. This contrasts with more neutral reporting on men holding similar positions, demonstrating a clear gender bias in media coverage. Such bias draws from, and reinforces, negative gender norms, and hampers the acceptance of women in public appointive positions whilst also reinforces gender inequalities.
Read also: The Common Black Ant
In both northern and southern regions, deeply ingrained gender stereotypes challenge women's suitability for public leadership. In Northern Nigeria, these stereotypes lead women to question their roles in the public domain and are rooted in religious and cultural norms. In Southern Nigeria, women strive to be confident and often rely on social institutions to function in public roles. In Northern Nigeria, women often have to rely on connections and networks with men to gain acceptance and leadership positions. In Southern states, political networks seem to have less influence on public appointments. There is a belief that government structures do not hamper women's leadership, yet women face structural and cultural biases, including harassment, unequal expectations, and discrimination by male superiors. These biases result in harsher judgements about women and hinder their access to leadership positions, despite their equal performance. Women appointees expressed frustration that societal expectations place higher demands on them because of their gender, believing that this prevents them from advancing in their roles.
Education was seen as a powerful tool to support women appointees in the North, where many have postgraduate degrees. Some of which I’m trying to unlearn.
EducationAccess to education has been a critical factor in changing the role of women in Nigeria.
Economic ParticipationWomen’s involvement in the workforce has grown significantly, contributing to economic development. Women are now represented in various sectors, including business, agriculture, healthcare, and technology.
Advocacy and Legal ReformsWomen’s rights organizations and activists have played a crucial role in advocating for gender equality and legal reforms.
Increased Political RepresentationWomen’s representation in politics has increased, though there is still progress to be made. Female leaders and politicians are now more visible, advocating for policies that address women’s issues and promote gender equality.
Media and TechnologyThe rise of media and digital platforms has amplified women’s voices and stories, challenging stereotypes and promoting positive role models.
While significant progress has been made, challenges remain. Gender-based violence, unequal access to opportunities, and cultural resistance to change continue to hinder women’s full participation in society.
The Choice to Be Childfree
To Have or Not to Have Children
For Jewel, falling in love isn’t about chemistry. It’s about children. She meets someone, they connect, and they dream out loud together. Jewel doesn’t want children. Not now. Not ever. It’s not a temporary phase or the residue of heartbreak; it’s a conscious decision. “I just decided to be free,” she says. For Jewel, 30, the decision is deeply personal, yet not accidental. As the first daughter in a large family, she practically raised her siblings, nephews, and nieces. That early, prolonged immersion in childcare taught her something important: she loved children, just not enough to become a mother herself. “I love being a doting aunty,” she says.
But endings are rarely accepted when they defy social scripts, and in Nigeria, that script is rigidly linked to marriage, motherhood, and sacrifice. That clarity, however, rarely shields her from condescension or outright hostility. She’s been called a “bitter feminist,” told she’ll die alone, and been accused of hating men. In romantic relationships, the backlash is even more acute. Two of my most serious relationships ended because the men were convinced I’d change my mind. In Nigeria, the cultural expectation for women to bear children remains nearly absolute. Motherhood is intertwined with ideas of maturity, morality, and even patriotic duty.
Before colonialism, motherhood in many Nigerian communities wasn’t just a private affair; it was also a public institution. Historian Lorelle Semley writes of “public motherhood” in Indigenous societies, where maternal roles extended into the political and economic realms. That power was systematically eroded under colonial rule. Victorian gender norms, introduced through missionaries and colonial bureaucracy, confined women to domesticity. Today’s childfree women, like Jewel, exist in the long shadow of those historical shifts. But they are also part of a growing countermovement. According to scholar R. Makama, urbanization, rising education levels, and access to digital platforms have given women new scripts.
Oluchi, 26, came to the decision differently. For years, she believed she was simply “not like other girls.” It wasn’t until she discovered online childfree communities that her feelings finally found language. There’s a big difference between being barren and being childfree. The pushback from her family has been intense, sometimes even cruel. “I keep reiterating to her not to stress me or ask me for a child,” Oluchi says, undeterred. She has grown adept at protecting her peace.
For Oluchi, this choice is inseparable from feminism. Jewel’s feminism, too, is foundational to her worldview. She grew up reading, questioning, and deciding early on that motherhood was not inevitable. I knew from the age of eight. And yes, it felt strange at first; being a girl, helping raise siblings. But even then, I knew: this isn’t what I want. That clarity helped her have honest conversations with her parents. One man she dated claimed to share her ideology, and although she was initially excited, she quickly realized that he had his own selfish agenda. “He didn’t even like women,” she says, revealing that he was a closeted misogynist and incel.
Jewel quickly adds that the decision to be childfree can also be difficult for a man. Now, she dates for companionship, not commitment. Marriage, however, isn’t my priority, and I have made peace with whether or not I get married. I have siblings, friends and colleagues who are married with two to three children.
For Ayanfe, a 25-year-old non-binary Nigerian, the decision to remain childfree came at age 12. Jewel’s, Oluchi, and Ayanfe reflect a rising consciousness among Nigerian women and gender-diverse people. I think childfree people often have the most respect for children. Jewel agrees. “Every woman has a choice,” she says, reiterating that in a society where womanhood is still defined by marriage and maternity, choosing to be childfree might be the most revolutionary thing a woman can do. “Don’t think [motherhood] is the only path or only way to live your life; there are multiple ways to do so.
Supporting Women's Empowerment
Women Impacting Nigeria (WIN) is at the forefront of promoting gender equality and empowering women. Through various programs and initiatives, WIN supports education, economic empowerment, healthcare, and leadership development for women and girls. Join Women Impacting Nigeria in their mission to empower women and promote gender equality. Your support can help create a more inclusive and equitable society.
| Area | Description | Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Increased access to formal education for girls and women. | Cultural norms, financial constraints, and gender bias in curriculum. |
| Economic Participation | Greater involvement in the workforce across various sectors. | Unequal pay, limited access to credit, and workplace discrimination. |
| Political Representation | Growing number of women in political leadership roles. | Societal stereotypes, lack of funding, and political gatekeeping. |
| Legal Reforms | Advocacy for laws that protect women's rights and promote gender equality. | Resistance from traditional and religious institutions, slow implementation. |
Popular articles:
tags:
