Sitting on a man: Difference between revisions

== Colonialism ==

 

In the early twentieth century, women in [[British Nigeria]] organized an anti-colonial protests in response to political reforms regarding the Native Administration."Sitting" on [[Eze|Warrant Chiefs]] was a prominent method of resistance. The [[Women's War]] was a significant demonstration of the employment of the adaptation of "sitting on a man" in efforts of resistance from imposed indirect colonial rule in British Nigeria.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sheldon|first1=Kathleen|title=Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa|date=2005|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham (Maryland)|isbn=978-0-8108-5331-7|page=228|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=36BViNOAu3sC&lpg=PA228&dq=%22sitting%20on%20a%20man%22%20igbo&pg=PA228#v=onepage&q&f=false|chapter=Sitting on a Man}}</ref> Protests would often consist of singing and dancing around homes and offices, invading personal spaces, and other actions which demanded the attention of the [[Indirect rule|Warrant Chiefs]]. Wives of the local colonial representatives were often disturbed by this form of protest and aided in encouraging Warrant Chiefs to adhere to the requests and demands of the women. "Sitting on the Warrants," became a widespread colonial resistance tactic utilized by women in Nigeria.

 

Igbo women held significant and influential social and political standings (while still second to men), colonial imposition excluded women from political settings and activities, despite resistance, this alteration in social institutions negatively affected women’s rights and status in society by de-legitimizing their power of influence. This was done through the outlawing of the practice of “sitting on a man” in the new [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate|British Administration]] design. The criminalization of the tactic was not necessarily deliberate, as colonists were naïve of the functions and implications of the practice, nevertheless through disturbing women’s means of balancing power, colonialism detrimentally effected Igbo gender relations and societal structures.<ref name=":0" />