Women's Movement Of Nigeria: the Challenge Of State Patriarchy

Dauda Jimoh; Yusuff Ridwan; Yusuf Muhammad-Bashir

doi:10.36881/ma.v3i2.1010

Authors

Dauda Jimoh Department of History and International Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Al-Hikmah University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4724-5390
Yusuff Ridwan Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9777-9052
Yusuf Muhammad-Bashir Department of Economics, Al-Hikmah University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6730-0866

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36881/ma.v3i2.1010

Keywords:

Women's Movement of Nigeria (WMN), State patriarchy, Gender equality, Women's activism, Colonialism, Political participation, Feminism, Empowerment, Postcolonial Africa and Political struggle

Abstract

This paper examines the role of state power in limiting the Nigerian Women's Movement (WMN) during the 1950s, focusing on the challenges faced by women activists in their pursuit of empowerment and gender equality. The study explores the historical context of women's marginalization in Nigeria, shaped by cultural practices and British colonialism, which restricted women's roles in society and politics. Despite these barriers, the WMN emerged as a significant force advocating for women's rights, aiming to challenge societal norms and secure political participation for women. Using a qualitative historical research methodology, the study employs thematic and chronological analysis of archival materials, documentary data, and historical contextualization to explore the WMN's goals, strategies, and its interaction with state patriarchy. The findings reveal that while the WMN made important strides in mobilizing women and advocating for gender equality, its efforts were hindered by state control and political party dominance, particularly from the Action Group (AG). The movement's dependence on government support and political affiliation ultimately led to its decline, demonstrating the challenges faced by women's organizations in maintaining independence within a patriarchal political system. This research offers critical insights into the intersection of gender, power, and state control in postcolonial Africa and emphasizes the importance of organizational autonomy and sustainable, independent support for women’s activism.

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Author Biographies

Yusuff Ridwan, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ilorin

^Dr. Ridwan Olabisi Yusuff is a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology and has over seventeen (17) years of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Ilorin. His research specialization includes, but is not limited to, gender, human resources management, industrial relations/sociology, and several other areas. He has published over 20 articles in the local, national, and international journals.

Yusuf Muhammad-Bashir, Department of Economics, Al-Hikmah University

Dr. M.B.O Yusuf is a senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at Al-Hikmah University, Nigeria. He has more than fifteen years teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in Africa and Asia. He was a recipient of the Emerald Outstanding Researcher award in the year 2013. He has more than 20 publications in SCOPUS journals and has won many international grants. His areas of specialization are Islamic economics and finance and development economics.

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