EGBA WOMEN RIOT, 1916-1949

Abstract

This work examined the Egba Women’s riot that took place in Abeokuta in Nigeria in 1916 – 1947. Causes and impact which includes representation in Government, abdication of Alaka and abolition of Sole Native Authority (SNA) etc. The method and analyzing data using both primary and secondary source, information gotten from oral history (oral informant) and books and articles. The Egba women's riot, also known as the Abeokuta Women's Revolt or the Egba Women's Tax Riot, was a significant anti-colonial movement that took place in Abeokuta, Nigeria, in the late 1940s. The revolt was primarily a protest against the imposition of unfair and oppressive taxation on women by the British colonial government and their local collaborators. Led by the influential activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the Abeokuta Women's Union (AWU), a powerful organization that united market women and elite women, the movement challenged not only colonial economic policies but also the patriarchal structures of power. The causes of the riot were rooted in the economic hardship and social injustices faced by Egba women. The British administration introduced a flat-rate tax on women, which was seen as an unfair burden, especially as women had no representation in the government. The methods used to collect the taxes, including harassment, beatings, and humiliating searches, further inflamed the situation. The women's protests, which included massive demonstrations, petitions, and the use of traditional and modern protest songs, culminated in a sustained campaign that lasted for months. The revolt was a remarkable display of women's agency and political power. Their collective action resulted in significant victories, including the temporary abolition of the women's flat-rate tax and, most notably, the forced abdication of the Alake (the paramount king of Egbaland), who was seen as a collaborator with the British. The Egba women's riot is a crucial case study in the history of anti￾ colonial resistance in Nigeria, highlighting how women's activism played a vital role in challenging colonial rule and advocating for political and economic rights.