Igbo Women and Economic Transformation in Southeastern Nigeria, 1900-1960 (review)

Chuku’s study of the first half of the last century is well-written and solidly researched. The eight chapters provide interesting, if not ambitious thematic discussions including resistance movements, powerful middlewomen traders, transport systems, and the commercialization of agriculture during colonialism. Moreover, she endeavours to investigate several cultural zones such as the Anioma, the Ngwa, the Onitsha, the Nsukka and the Aro, offering a broader scope than many previous studies on gender and the economy in south-eastern Nigeria.

In her introduction, Chuku argues that women have played more important roles in the political economy of the region than previously acknowledged. Further, she posits that women concentrated their economic activities in agriculture, crafts and local industrial production and trade, thus contributing to both the export and domestic economies of British rule and the British war economy. However, she believes such contributions were tempered by the complexities of the Victorian gender ethos and shifting gender relations, where men were encouraged to enter previously female-dominated economic activities. A brief survey of the Igbo region before 1900 is offered in Chapter 1, including corporate political and dual-sex political systems, gendered cults and societies, religion and economic foundations. Although somewhat hampered by lack of temporal specifications, this chapter ably addresses the political economy of pre-European contact in south-eastern Nigeria and gives the reader a solid basis for interpreting post-1900 economic activities. Chuku then presents a more detailed focus on women in the economy before 1900. She discusses gendered agricultural activities (palm oil, cassava), land ownership, labour rights and the farm economy as well as crafts, salt production, pottery, textiles and trading. This firmly centres women in the larger Igbo economy and convincingly demonstrates their socio-political status derived from economic power.

The third and fourth chapters address the economic impact of a permanent European presence, including missionaries and administrators. Chuku gives an impressive account of the gendered effects of colonialism on agriculture and food processing, and in particular of how women were affected by British win-the-war efforts such as the introduction of export crops, export bans and price gouging. She also explores how crafts and local industry (salt, pottery, mat weaving and textiles) struggled for survival under colonialism. This struggle was against the monopolistic actions of foreign trading companies, government policies and Christian ideology. Chuku demonstrates how the Igbo came to judge their local industries as ‘ “juju” and uncouth’ (p. 145), which had effects on women employed in these industries.

The fifth chapter introduces some of the opportunities of colonialism created through improved transportation systems (bicycle, roads and bridges), the pax Britannica, and urbanization. However, most of these innovations were more accessible to men than to women, owing to cultural constraints and colonial gender discrimination. The author goes on to explore how these changes affected the role of women in trade by focusing on ten powerful women traders and middlewomen. Social mobility and wealth are also discussed in terms of gender flexibility. Chuku offers an outstanding examination of women in resistance movements and quite beautifully portrays the close association of sacred birds, women, peace, power, sacrifice and the marketplace. Chuku further investigates women’s organizational and leadership qualities as well as their instruments of resistance. She argues that the often-discussed Women’s War of 1929 was not the only uprising, but was preceded and succeeded by various protests and demonstrations, which she documents through the 1950s.

The final chapter posits that external factors had contradictory effects on the women of south-eastern Nigeria. Further, Chuku argues that these ambiguities should be understood in terms of women as active agents in challenging, negotiating and engaging with the colonial order on their own terms. This substantial volume is an important addition to colonial African gender studies.