My Awani Story
“Awani” is the answer to the dilemma of a young Nigerian feminist who is faced with a wide gap between how things were and how things are. “Awani” is a documentary that takes the semblance of an applique, it explores how the roles of women differ in the precolonial times from the postcolonial times and how these changes came about. “Awani” showed me that there might have been a time when genuine gender equality existed in Nigeria. The documentary employed expert commentary and voices of young girls of the future generation to make this case.
The documentary showed that in precolonial times, there were many a society where the claws of patriarchy had not claimed. The documentary showed how colonization brought civilization; cosmic culture plus a new religion. The documentary drew a line between the Christian North and the Muslim North. The documentary presented a controversial thought that the Northern culture we see now is an adulterated version of their original culture. The documentary showed that the culture was adulterated by the infiltration of the Arab Slave traders and the white men in the North. The documentary examined the relationship between women and the market in the south. The documentary celebrated Amina of Zaria of northern origin, who played political and military roles and Queen of Onitsha of western Igbo origin, a wealthy trader that exuded great influence on the women, and by controlling the women, one controlled the market.
The documentary examined the struggle of women in colonial times by intimating us on the Aba Women’s Revolt (1929)which started in Oloko, a small village over tax consensus; the Iva Valley Miners Strike (1949) which was led by the wives of the miners who protested against poor working conditions and paltry wages of their husbands and the Abeokuta Women’s Tax Revolt (late 1940’s) led by the phenomenal Fela Ransome Kuti. The documentary captured the indefatigable spirit of women when they have had enough. The documentary did not forget to celebrate Nigerian women voting for the first time in 1950.
The documentary portrayed how bad things have become, the throwing of the bill seeking gender equality by the Nigerian Senate on 16th March, 2916; the marrying of young girls in the north; the increasing numbers of young girls experiencing sexual assault before age 24 and the predominant culture of girls being seen as liability in Nigeria.
“Awani” is the answer to a girl child’s dream, the dream that there can and would be a woman president. Awani is a clarion call not just to Nigerians but the world that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done because there’s a problem. “Awani” sounded the gong to send the message across Nigeria and globally that the time when women will take their rightful places will come again because it “…is ours — Awani.”
