By Josfyn Uba, Bianca Iboma–Emefu and Henry Uche
Wherever you turn, they are there; in their numbers. Women exude power, authority and greatness in STEM, sports, judiciary, media, medicine, and politics, even, on the pulpit. Their resilience and determination to break and create new records are evidential in all facets of human existence.
•Rev. Sr. Alokha
So, it is not in doubt that their ability to attain leadership positions is innate, except they do not put their minds to it. They have successfully led organized protests and led campaigns to change the world, waking up every day and continuing to break ground in spaces that were hitherto not created with them in mind or have been thought as exclusively reserved for the male gender.
Women have achieved significant goals in cleaning out the cultural biases and stereotypes with patriarchy as a major factor. There is still a lot of work to be done. For their hard work, courage, doggedness, sacrifices, struggles, triumphs, success and achievement in social, economic, cultural, and political spaces as well as, inspiring others towards closing the gender gap are celebrated globally every year. March 8, is the International Women’s Day.
•Elizabeth Adekogbe
However, one of the few known facts about this remarkable date is that not many women even know who actually initiated what is being celebrated with so much pomp and class. According to Euronews website, in 1910, Clara Zetkin, women’s rights advocate and the leader of Germany’s Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party proposed the idea of a global International Women’s Day. And on March, 19, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was held, with more than 1 million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland taking part.
It was not until 1975, that the United Nations began to recognize and celebrate the International Women’s Day (IWD). Since then, the UN has served as the major sponsor of the yearly event, encouraging more countries to recognize “acts of courage and resolve by ordinary women who have played an outstanding role in the history of their countries and communities.”
Euronews stated, “And for those wondering and feeling left out (get over it), there is an International Men’s Day, which is celebrated on 19 November in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the UK. It has only been marked since the 1990s and isn’t recognized by the UN.” With this year’s campaign theme “Inspire Inclusion,” International Women’s Day 2024 seeks to inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion. “And when women themselves are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment”
Naturally, history records every individual’s achievement in their endeavors. While some are often more recognized and celebrated, other are not that lucky. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, 2024, Daily Sun in a unique way, chronicles the struggles and achievement of some outstanding women who also made remarkable sacrifices, impacted positively in their spaces and even dominated the same landscape with their male counterparts while alive but were not duly recognized for no fault of theirs
Late Rev. Sr. Henrietta Alokha
Rev Sr. HENRIETTA ALOKHA led a life of bravery and paid the ultimate sacrifice with her life so that others may live. Sr. Alokha, a member of the Religious Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (SSH) and the Principal of Bethlehem Girls College, Lagos, died on March 15, 2020, while trying to rescue her students who were trapped in the fire that occurred as a result of the explosion in Abule-Ado community, Amuwo Odofin local government area of Festac Phase II of Lagos State.
During her tenure, Rev. Sr. Henrietta brought in a transformational approach to the administration of the school. This endeared her to the students and staff of the school. To the students, she was mother-figure who dedicated her life totally to the well-being of the students entrusted into her care. Her total love and care for her students was fully manifested on that ill-fated day when the students were celebrating the Eucharist in the chapel and a student noticed a rather strange white fume coming from the gate. Late Rev. Sr. Henrietta, having recognized the danger, calmly told her students to move towards the backdoor of the chapel, keeping a quiet tone of voice and reassuring students to prevent a stampede.
Henrietta could not account for two of her students after rescuing the others. While the explosions were raging, Rev Sr. Henrietta Alokha dashed through heavy smokes and falling bricks/concretes to rescue the students trapped in the hall even when she was told not to. She preferred to take the risk in other to save the missing two, who shortly after she left ran out from a different direction to join the others. She succeeded in rescuing all the students trapped in the hall.
Unfortunately, Sr. Henrietta Alokha lost her life in the explosions while rescuing the very last girl trapped in the hall. The student survived but she died while trying to make it back after the search. She got hit on the head and sustained a deep cut by the collapsing building and she died on the spot.
It was reported that no student of the college was lost to the deadly incident. She died alongside a female security staff in the process.
To honor her for her bravery, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) named a newly built 500-capacity assembly hall after her.
Remembering the late school administrator, Lady Adesua Ogidi, former parent of Bethlehem Girls College, Lagos, Rev. Sr. Henrietta Alokha was indeed, a mother-hen who took the proverbial bullet that her children may be safe. We celebrate such women of bravery, resilience and sacrifice on International Women’s Day
Adunni Oluwole
Adunni Oluwole was a rare breed for her time. Born in 1905 Ibadan, Oyo State, she was far ahead of her peers, men inclusive. Her natural trait of radicalism and non-conformity with dogmas and conventions was the major factor that propelled her into civil rights activism in the Pre-independence era.
Adunni who gained popularity from her talent in public speaking long before Nigerians even knew that one could achieve fame and fortune with such natural gift was recorded as a notable female politician who stood firmly against the idea of Nigeria becoming an Independent nation. With stern belief in gender equality, she pulled her way into murky and male dominated politics in 1954, riding on her benevolence, empathy and financial assistance towards the general strike embarked upon by workers in 1945. From the gains and spoils of the strike, Oluwole delved into the male dominated political landscape that same year and founded the Nigerian Commoners Liberal Party. Of course, Nigerian women had no voice even before Pre-independence era, so, almost all the party members were men.
Oluwole’s strength, determination and personal conviction that irrespective of gender disparity and cultural inhibitions, she could match side by side her male political counterparts came to bear when she defeated the NCNC and AG by securing a seat in Ikirun, Osun North.
Oluwole’s strong political stance was further demonstrated when she vehemently opposed the vote for independence when a date was first proposed in 1956 because the politicians who were given power abused it and were simply African colonialists.
She launched a campaign arguing that the “The White Man Must Not Go” with the formation of radical groups like “Egbe Koyinbo Mailo” which took its root among the indigenous Yoruba speaking people in the rural communities. Although, the people gladly bought into her idea but for lack of adequate resources, her ideology couldn’t be sustained and the party died. Before her death in 1957, the brave woman was at loggerhead with strong political forces and the local authorities.
In 1955, she went before the Olubadan in Ibadan to air her political views, but she was shut down by Adegoke Adelabu who called her a harlot and threatened to hit her with broomsticks. She was later banished from Ibadan and relocated to Akure where she continued to spread her anti-independence message.
Oluwole was out to prove some points. She strongly advocated for women’s rights and continuously demanded women’s participation in politics in constitutional conferences.
Elizabeth Adekogbe
Elizabeth Adekogbe was one of those women shaped the political map of Nigeria. She journeyed alongside other iconic women of Pre independence period. Adekogbe who was born in 1919 into the royal ancestry of Ijebu-Ife, in was privileged in many fronts. During her time, education for the girl-child was an uncommon feat. She was one of those few women who were educated. After obtaining her Teachers’ College Certificate at Saint Agnes Catholic Training College, Lagos and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, she began her teaching career where she headed a renowned primary school in Ibadan.
Her quest to make an impact, despite the socio-cultural limitations, was intense. She also knew that women possessed same talents as the menfolk and was eager to champion their cause having experienced the benefits of education. One of such areas where she could socio-political and economic emancipation was through educating the women. Her alliance with political activists like Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Margaret Ekpo and others paved way for that dream to come true.
In 1952, she founded the Women’s Movement of Nigeria alongside some other 14 women. They were all of like minds and their desire to drive the economic, social, cultural and political emancipation of Nigerian women was uppermost in their agenda while forming the pressure group. In fact, all the ideals that counted for women’s liberation was their focus. Some of the civil societies and women’s group were their ideas. In 1953 in Abeokuta, Adekogbe co-founded the Federation of Nigerian Women’s Societies (FNWS), a sector of the WM with Ransome-Kuti and Ekpo of which its essence was to prepare women to take up political offices. Adekogbe would later leave the FNWS over some disputes on her role in the FNWS.
Adegoke was a woman of foresight, a nationalist and a writer. Even as she had pulled out of the first group, she went into mainstream politics where she headed the women’s wing of the Western Region’s Action Group party. She also changed the name of the WM to the Nigerian Council of Women (NCW). Adekogbe was also a member of the International Council of Women (ICW), an organization founded in the United States to mobilize women of different countries. In March 1957, she alongside Esan, the first woman member of the Nigerian Senate, and Ogunlesi, another nationalist and women’s rights activist, founded the Council of Women’s Societies (CWS) whose aim was to be an umbrella body to all women associations in Ibadan.
Adekogbe was a woman of opportunities and fought for the liberation of women. She struggled for women to have adequate representation since the 1951 constitution only allowed women who were taxpayers any form of voting rights. And since there were only a few women taxpayers, their representation in politics was quite insignificant. Her editorial matters influenced the quest for adequate representation in 1954 for women in the Western Region’s House of Assembly compared to men. She was quite influential.
Wuruola Esan
Wuraola Esan was a powerful woman. She was among the first few Nigerian women who used their education to influence and uplift the lives of women. She knew the immene benefits that came from being educated. As a teacher and a prominent political figure, her passion to educate women was her priority even though, there were barriers in achieving that. Her school Ibadan People’s Girls Grammar School in Molete, provided a veritable platform to realize the dream as far back as 1944. Esan who was born in 1909 featured prominently among the women whose views, struggles and sacrifices made in the Pre-independence Nigeria attainable. Becoming the Iyalode of Ibadan, she combined the powerful influence of her position as an Ibadan High chief and contact in collaboration with her likes to conceptualize what is later known as the National Council of Women Society.
Chief Senator Franca Afegbua
Senator Franca Afegbua dared where most men feared to tread on. She blazed her own trail such that when she came into the political sphere, the female gender were completely held down by cultural biases, stereotypes and challenged by patriarchy.
From the beauty parlor, young and beautiful Franca broke the glass ceiling and transcended all boundaries to go into the political terrain, an area never thought a woman could occupy at that time. It was a route never travelled by a woman in Nigeria. Not only did she find her way, she took a seat at the table of honourable men. Chief Afegbua contested on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria and won the Bendel-North Senatorial District seat in the 1983 elections. Through hard work, courage, resilience and sacrifice, she emerged the first elected female Senator in the country.
Even though, the dream was short lived when the military took over, she remained an inspiration to many women and had opened the floodgates of opportunity for the female gender.
Chief Afegbua, a native of Okpella, Edo State was born in 1943. She shocked the nation when she announced her intention to contest in the 1983 general elections leveraging on her close relationship with a Second Republic political titan, with Joseph Tarka, who introduced her to his party, NPN. From there, launched an onslaught to unseat the incumbent candidate in the opposition of Unity Party of Nigeria, (UPN)
She had a smart campaign strategy. She called the womenfolk and they answered her. She tasted the strength of female voters, and scored a goal in the Nigerian political history. Since her emergence at the first elected Senator, women gradually began to gravitate towards the political corridor. Today, the gender gap has significantly been closing up. Chief Franca Afegbua has inspired many women into politics but it’s not yet Uhuru. A lot of work needs to be done as the percentage of women presently in the National Assembly is not appreciable. Chief Franca Afegbua who died on March, 12 2023, at age 79 left her footprints on the sands of time.
Keji Okunowo
Chief Keji Okunowo bestrode the Nigerian music industry like a colossus in the 80’s and carved in niche in a sector where patriarchy and stereotype were major factors. Music and entertainment were somehow forbidden for the girl child at that time, let alone, for a woman to venture into music management. It was thought to be exclusively reserved for men. Young and courageous Keji who started out as the Public Relations Officer had also worked with Premier Music Nigeria. She became a force to reckon with and rose to call the shots as the Chief Executive Officer of CBS and Sony Music Nigeria. She became an inspiration to many people with her doggedness, hard work and zeal to succeed. Even as she was into music administration, she was spurred into copyright activism having experienced what musicians were going through. Chief Mrs. Okunowo proved that what a man can do, a woman can do even, better. She fought for the rights of musicians so much so that she joined forces with other stakeholders and conceptualized the defunct Performing and Mechanical Rights Society of Nigeria (PMRS). She was also a top official of Copyright Society of Nigeria, (COSON).
She is an accomplished music entrepreneur, business woman and socialite.
Tanimowo Ogunlesi
One common denominator among the few Nigerian political activists and women’s rights agitators of the Pre-independence era was education. Even when women were not given the opportunity to go to school, these women who were chanced to be educated and had seen the advantages of it were united by a common purpose and ideology.
It was the drive for women emancipation through proper adequate representation, control of economic resources and agitation to remove all forms of limitations militating against women’s growth that held them together.
Born in 1908, Ogunlesi who played a pivotal role in her time founded the Children Home School Molete. In alliance with other strong women of her time, she also co-founded the National Council of Women’s Societies in Nigeria and became the first president of the National Council of Women’s Societies in 1959. Her major focus was providing opportunities for women to be educated and to exercise the rights to vote in elections.