MARGINALISED GROUP OR ACTIVISTS: A CASE OF NNEWI WOMEN BEFORE 1999

Abstract

Women have naturally shown interest in social and political concerns since earliest times. It has been observed that some African scholars who attempt to reconstruct history seem to borrow leaf from Eurocentric writers to pitch women as a totally marginalised and relegated group in politics. Such writings point to the fact that women continue to be inaccurately depicted in the forefront of African political history despite the abundance of writing on women and women's history. They are either portrayed as innately inferior or/and subordinate, suffering under male oppression forever. The paper recognises this as a major problem. Thus, against the backdrop, it attempts to correct such notions and reveal that from the pre-colonial period up to the inception of the fourth republic in Nigeria, Nnewi women have constantly played active political and social roles. These roles have established the socio-political relevance of women in the society as well as contributed immensely to societal development. The article adopts the qualitative method of historical research in analysing and interpreting data, with focus on the roles Nnewi women have played in socio-political development before 1999. The choice of 1999 as terminal date was informed by the fact that the said year ushered Nigeria into the Fourth Republic which is still ongoing. Thus the political relevance of Nnewi women cannot be objectively determined until the afore mentioned dispensation comes to an end. It recommends Afrocentric peculiarities/perceptions in African historical reconstruction.