Men in Yorubaland were killed in the Kiriji War, the Owu War, and many other wars a few centuries ago. The slave trade was also unfavorable to men. The Yoruba country’s vast sociopolitical landscape was impacted. So, in a world where men were sold into slavery and able men were required to lead tribal wars that erupted like summer fire, there was bound to be a scarcity of men and an abundance of women. All of this provided a crackling opportunity for the few remaining men to marry as many wives as they could. Because the Yoruba were the dominant farmers and needed many wives to bear many children for the workforce, some men took advantage of the polygamy culture and filled their dens with many wives. Even though there were fewer men left, they stood strong, claiming the roles of husband and lord in their respective homes. Women had two responsibilities: wife and mother.
Copyright:© 2018 Wole-Abu NA.
The traditional Nigerian indigenous community believes that the woman’s role is predominantly in the home where she is expected to act as a wife, mother and housekeeper. This implies that she is to be catered for by her husband whom she is solely dependent on. It is often seen as odd if she fends for herself or takes on any form of occupational activity which is considered to be to be for men. According to Adamu [1] the cultural orientation by which a woman is seen as dependent on her husband is what creates the enabling environment for her subordination and restriction in pursing education. In Nigeria presently, women are beginning to break out of such stereotypes. This is evident in their achievements in the various fields of endeavors which they now engage in.
Nigerian women have continued to evolve since the precolonial era, their continuous portrayal as the helpless, oppressed and marginalized lot has led to little recognition being given to them in history. This is why Awe asserts that our history has not been gender sensitive and that data has neglected the contributions of females to society. According to Okereke Nigerian history has not been gender sensitive in their analysis of the contributions of females to development and this invisibility affects the country in terms of development. The irony here is that Nigerian women have always played a significant role in social and economic activities in the society. They have engaged in activities such as food processing, pottery making, and mat weaving and cooking. Land was communally owned and women were given access to land through their husbands or where applicable their parents. However, the patrilineal nature of the Nigerian culture emphasized the role of the man as the head of the family. The control of labor and the younger members of the family were given to older women…
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