Stereotypes Of Aba Women

This article is trying to show the stereotype and the inequality in gender. Women have always been viewed as a weak individual who need the protection of men. However, in this article, the women stands up for their own rights and defend against themselves. They are fearless and united. The author is writing this article as a perspective of a women about how and why is there ‘Aba Women Riot’ in the historical event. It places emphasis on the courageous action of a women and that the men do not have total control over the women. The women do have a mind of their own. The ‘Aba Women Riot’ depicts that violence is a way for the minorities to be heard. Women did not really have a proper job then and having to pay taxes when they earn so little is
unfair to them. If the women did not protest against the unfair taxation, they will have to suffer in silence and no one will knows that they are subjected to inequality.
Women are not just a housewives and men are not the sole breadwinner. Women can go out to do some small jobs like trading to earn extra income for the family. They can also mingle with their friends outside and not having to stay at home all day to clean and take care of the house. (p. 1). This shows that women do have freedom and that the men were not in total control over them. They do have the power to earn money like men. Moreover, when they feel that they are subject to unfair treatment, they do not submit. The authorities are mostly men, but the women are not afraid and they do not back down easily. Instead, they fight back, showing that men are not that influential or powerful to make the women fear them. However, the article mentions that the women do depend on the husbands and that they cannot buy food themselves (p. 1) which implies that men are the breadwinner and the decision maker too. So, men do still have some power over women and that the women have to obey the men, showing
that the women in Nigeria are dominated by the men in some ways. This article reflects the women of Nigeria that they are fearless and are able to protect themselves. When the dominant authorities decide to tax the women too, the women gather up in unity to oppose against the taxation. They do everything within their means to stop the authorities from counting the taxable wealth of the women. This shows that women are not weak. Even though the women do not have advance weaponry and are fighting against the men, they did not give up but instead use whatever things they could find even if it is just a stick to rebel against the unfair taxation on women when they do not earn much like the men. (p.2). Women do have freedom to choose and do what they feels is right. They are not afraid to give up their lives to protect their interest. Their courageous action shows that they do not have to obey and submit to the men. Men have always have a higher status and are more recognized in the societies than women, making the men seems to be more powerful than the women. Men often have a higher paying job like working as an authority while women could only be a farmer rearing animals. (p. 2). This inequality makes the societies being dominated by men as they were often the one that could work and are offered a job. Women are at a disadvantage but that does not mean that women are completely powerless. ‘Unity is strength’ and when the authorities want to tax women, it makes the women come together to fight back even though they do not have much resources to win. Furthermore, the riots and protest allows their voices to be heard. It makes people know that women were treated unfairly during the precolonial period. The women also put up a fight against the authorities, burning up the Native Court and robbing the houses of the authorities that wants to tax women (p.2), showing that they were not completely powerless. However, it is clear that the women were powerless in terms of resources and power even if they have the determination. In all the riots against the taxation, the only killed and injured people were the women. The women were even killed by the lieutenant with a revolver when they only have sticks to fight and defend (p. 3). This shows that the women were indeed powerless physically as they were already on the losing ends. As men are often viewed as strong individual while women are weak, this stereotype makes the women to be believe as someone who needs the protection from men. Therefore, women were believed to be completely powerless when in actual fact they can be as strong as men if they are given equal treatment.
The first argument is supported by ample evidence from the document.
The second event is bias in saying that the women are completely powerless and that the women are dominated by men. The use of completely is too overpowering as a statement to judge the entire population of women. This argument may most likely come from a male individual who feels that women should obey the men and that the women are just a weak individual. On the other hand, the first argument is more generalized. There is clear evidence that men do have some dominance over women but women do have some freedom too. As the whole document is depicting of the women’s’ fight for their rights, it is clear that women will do anything to protect their interest and also that they are not completely powerless since they have the numbers and determination. The acts that the women did to protest against the taxation also shows that the women have the ability to protect their own interest. Adichie’s documentary makes me realize that there are two sides to everything and we should not let our prejudice and one sided stories told by someone else to judge a group of people. I like how she bring across these messages by using the examples of her life experiences of that just because Fidha is poor, it does not mean that they are not hardworking and not trying to have a better life. It also makes me reflect upon myself of how I view the Africans with sympathy and not empathy because of all the stories and images that
societies displayed of them. It makes me feel that all Africans are poor and violent. It is wrong to judge the entire population based on a single sided story as everyone has different perspective. Some may feel that the women in the ‘Aba Women Riot’ were in the wrong as taxation is a necessary means for the nation’s economy and that women should not oppose against it. However, from another perspective, people feel that women are weak and that is why the women are treated unfairly, having to pay tax when they are not even having a proper job or earning much. The perspective of the author is important when writing the document as an over bias perspective to one situation will influence others of the images of the group of people just like how people are misinterpreting the Africans nowadays due to the over negative perspective of them in most historical document.