Igbo women campaign for rights (The Women's War) in Nigeria, 1929
Summary
By November 1929, Igbo women in southeastern Nigeria had had enough. [source: nv-database]
From the perspective of the British colonizers, the women became loud, angry, and disruptive. [source: nv-database]
They marched through cities and towns and demanded political leaders to step down. [source: nv-database]
The women took their British rulers completely by surprise. [source: nv-database]
The British were ignorant of the discontent among women that had been building for years, and that had recently bubbled over the surface. [source: nv-database]
They mistook the women’s organized action for spontaneous, ‘crazy’ outbursts. [source: nv-database]
Tactics used
Tactics used
- marches
- assemblies-of-protest-or-support
- wearing-of-symbols
- singing
Background
In 1914, when the British decided to put in place a new political system in Nigeria, they paid little attention to traditional power distributions. [source: nv-database]
The British decided to institute a form of ‘indirect rule’ in which they would control Nigeria through local representatives of their choosing. [source: nv-database]
The British organized Igboland, the area in southeastern Nigeria that is home to the Igbo people, into Native Court areas. [source: nv-database]
These areas were each governed by a Warrant Chief, an Igbo representative that the British had chosen. [source: nv-database]
This new method of governance was starkly different from the Igbo political system. [source: nv-database]
Traditionally, power was diffuse in Igbo communities, with a large group of elders making most decisions. [source: nv-database]
Also, women had had a significant role in Igbo political life. [source: nv-database]
They participated in village meetings, and had very strong solidarity groups. [source: nv-database]
Through women’s kinship networks and market networks, they often organized to use strikes and boycotts to affect political decisions. [source: nv-database]
They were respect. [source: nv-database]
What happened
Under British rule, the Igbo’s economy became based on palm oil sales. Most people’s main income was from the sale of palm oil and kernels to overseas countries. In 1925, the British administration conducted a census of all men and their possessions. They denied that the information from the census would then be used for tax purposes, but only a few months later the administration instituted a tax on all men. However, despite being levied on men only, women were affected because the tax was high enough that they had to contribute from their income to help their husbands. Later, in 1929, prices of palm oil products fell because of the economic depression. Yet the British administration did not adjust the tax rates and the tax became a huge burden. In addition, rumors began to spread that the British were going to institute a second tax for women. Anger began to rise among women, but the women’s networks decided to wait until further proof of the tax before organizing a campaign against it. In late October of 1929, an elderly woman named Nwanyeruwa was approached by a census taker. He demanded that she count her animals and her family members. She responded by saying angrily, “Was your mother counted?” Nwanyeruwa was referring to the fact that women were not required to answer census questions, and were not taxed. She left, and went to retell her story to the women’s network in her city of Oloko. Shocked and angered, the three women leaders of this network—Ikonnia, Mwannedia and Nwugo—decided to organize a campaign to ensure that they would not be taxed. They began by sending out palm leaves to neighboring villages in their district. The palm leaves were a symbol of invitation among women, telling them to come to a protest that was being organized at the district’s administration office in Oloko. Each woman who received a palm leaf was told to pass the leaf on with its message to another woman, forming a chain mail line of communication. In early November, the hugely successful protest took place: over 10,000 women congregated outside the district administration office, and demanded that the Warrant Chief of Oloko give them a written assurance that they would not be taxed. The women sat outside the district office for several days, when, finally, the British offices above the Warrant Chief ordered him to give the women a written assurance that they were not to. [source: nv-database]
Key people & organizations
- Three women: Ikonnia [source: nv-database]
- Mwannedia [source: nv-database]
- Nwugo [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: won.
Per the source’s scoring rubric, the campaign scored 3 out of 6 points on achieving specific demands/goals, 1 out of 1 points on survival, and 3 out of 3 points on growth — for 7 out of 10 points overall. [source: nv-database]
The campaign receives 3 points for success because some, but not all, of the protests received written assurance that they would not be taxed and the removal of their Warrant Chief. Ultimately, the system of governance was changed to include more Nigerian input as well [source: nv-database]
Lessons
- Sustained, broad-based nonviolent mobilization can win measurable concessions even against entrenched regimes.
- The campaign receives 3 points for success because some, but not all, of the protests received written assurance that they would not be taxed and the removal of their Warrant Chief. [source: nv-database]
- Public marches and assemblies create visibility but require shielding from state repression to remain effective.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Built: 2026-07-04 from GNVAD content via T1 balance pipeline.