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Topic: Uche Nworah on the Rising Profile of Igbo Women

Ike
Senior Advocate
Advocate # 47

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Folks:

I loved reading the article entitled "The Rising Profile of Igbo Women" written by Uche Nworah. For one thing, the article arouses that certain "where are they now?" kind of feeling in those who have followed the works of those women, even though at least one of the women mentioned in the article is best forgotten.

quote:
If Igbo men were responsible for the lull in their progress, are the women now entitled to any kind of compensation or an affirmative action policy from Igbo men to redress the imbalance? Is this what is currently happening? Are the Igbo men deliberately taking the back seat at the moment while the women occupy the driving seats? or is it just a natural changing of the guards?

Are Igbo men failing or under achieving? or are there just not enough Igbo men left in the professions? Are brothers now busy killing each other in the name of politics as the rest play the game of draughts at Nkwo Nnewi and Idumota markets while waiting for customers?

If the women had been held back by tradition, the fear of success and also by the general belief in Igbo land that they will not be able to find husbands if they became too successful, has that tradition now changed or do the women now care less? Are they now being influenced by other cultures, globalization and the media?

On their way up the career ladder, when is it right for the women to stop and draw the line? Make choices between careers, husbands and families? At the point that a conflict of interest begins to arise? At the point that their husbands begin to be used as favourite dinner topics and labelled as woman wrappers? The women will have to make these choices and decisions for themselves.

One thing is certain though; the current turnaround in fortunes for Igbo women is good, both for the women, the men and also for Ndigbo in general.

In the 80s and 90s, names such as Jennifer Madike (where is she now?), Oyibo Odinamadu, Mariam Ikejiani, Chris Anyanwu and a few others graced and bestrode the Nigerian political and media landscape like true amazons. They all too quickly disappeared like meteors.

The beautiful Chris Anyanwu, ex NTA newscaster, ex Imo state Information Commissioner, ex The Sunday Magazine publisher suffered a wickedly fate at the hands of Abacha who made her a political and also a prisoner of conscience, hopefully where ever she is today and whatever it is she is doing, she has not lost faith, at least her pioneering efforts and legacy lives on.

The elegant Kema Chikwe, ex minister in the Obasanjo administration tried her best to raise the profile of Igbo women, she was helped by her love for fashion and controversy, a combination that endeared her heavily to the media who never seemed to get tired of showing her beautiful smiles behind those trademark glasses, she may be gone now but not many Igbo sisters will forget her easily, not only for the fashion styles they copied from her but also for making being a minister at such age look so reachable and worth aspiring to.

This is the best of times for Igbo sisters, they have never had it so good, finally the men can at least take a bow and move to the side, Igbo women have arrived, just like the Virginia slims advertisements will say, You have come a long way baby.

However, the article also reminds one of Otimpku music, OliverDe-Coque-style, which celebrates "igbu ozu" (i.e., wealth and status acquisition) without asking where the ozu came from and how it was realized.

I don't know about all the other women mentioned. To me, Kema Chikwe is the kind of woman that enemies of the Igbo race use to spit in our face. Is Ukpabi Asika's inlaw, Kema Chikwe, really the kind of Igbo woman that should be remembered fondly or used as a positive profile for an Igbo woman?

Posts: 162 | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

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