Remembered or Dismembered, Deified or Defied? The Challenges of African Heroines in Contemporary History

Abstract

The development of any society depends on the overall contribution of its entire populace. These include: men, women, elderly and the youths, but specifically both genders, male and female. Unfortunately, while the African society have always honoured and subsequently immortalised the males after their demise as heroes, such gestures are scarcely extended to the females heroines. With focus on Nigeria, this paper traces the history of women who have contributed and even sacrificed their lives from the pre- colonial to contemporary period, and examined how the state has given back to them after their demise. The study relies on archival materials, extant literature and media reports. The study reveals that Nigeria has not done enough to dignify these heroines as compared to their male counterparts. Recommendations were made based on these findings. One of which was that, for the sake of posterity and equity, the Nigerian female heroines should enjoy similar honours, like their male counterparts.

Keywords: Women, Heroines, Honours, Gender, Aba Women Riot, Ebola