The women of Abua Odual

In 2019, Women in Phalga occupied the collation center, both young and elderly in a bid to mount pressure on the collation officers to do the right thing

In 2019, The women of Abua Odual, both the young and the old took to the streets to protest the military invasion of their LGA in the course of the elections.

In same 2019, the brave women of OguBolo held their ground at the collation center where they kept watch all night, daring the men of the military and ensuring that the will of the people prevailed.

In the history of our democracy, women have employed as a tool of last resort, the concept of half-naked or braless protest. From as far back as colonial times. 

The act is a symbolic expression of protesters’ willingness to put their bodies on the line in order to advance a political cause, such as opposition to government and military interventions. This was the case on May 20, 2017, when some female members of the Indigenous People of Biafra staged a protest in Abiriba, Abia.

It also has a spiritual undertone as the bare body of a woman is seen to pose some sort of power; this is why people so much believe in the potency of the prayer of a naked woman.

On the 28 of March last year, old women numbering up to a thousand protested half naked in Nassarawa as regards the gubernatorial election results. Likewise, many other protests of such likeness have occurred in recent times.

Yesterday, while women drawn from the 23 LGAs embarked on a peace walk, some elderly women joined the protest adorning just a wrapper and bra in a bid to make a statement. These mothers who dared to be different and make a statement were part of the highlight of the day. While there have been many reactions about their outing and with some persons voicing dissenting opinions about their appearance, one can agree that the display by these courageous mothers has gotten the needed attention that it deserves and these women should be applauded.

The political crisis in the state has seen some young men languishing in detention, while some have been declared wanted in a style that reeks of a political witch hunt - our women have always been the ones to speak when voices are lost and they did that once again.

The inestimable strength of a Woman