Scholarship on the Nigerian Civil War began to evolve as early as the history of the Nigerian Civil War itself. The earliest scholarship on the Nigerian Civil War were political and diplomatic history, which include the various constitutional arrangements and politics aimed at preventing the war from occurring. After the war, the historiography of the Nigerian Civil War grew to include the military aspects of the war, personal memoirs, social history, interventions from international organisations, humanitarian, and relief agencies such as the Red Cross, Caritas Internationalis, Joint Church Aid, among others. It also includes books on the impact of the war on socio-economic life, including violent crimes, law and order. Despite the existence of a plethora of fictional and non-fictional literature on the war, one common feature in all of them is the absence of women’s roles and voices.
The Nigeria-Biafra War impacted men and women in different ways yet over fifty years after the war, women’s complex experiences during the war remain silent in literature, making them to be forgotten victims of the war. Other than a few fictional representation of women during the war such as Chinua Achebe’s (1972) Girls at War, Ofoegbu Leslie’s (1985) Blow the Fire, and Chimamanda Adichie’s (1998) For the love of Biafra, only a few empirical studies have attempted to understand the role of women during the war and in the post-war reconstruction e.g. Sydney Emezua’s 1997 article titled Women and the War published as a chapter in a book in “A Social History of the Nigerian Civil War: Perspectives from Below” edited by Axel Harneit-Sievers, Jones O. Ahazuem, and Sydney Emezua.
Often and as is typical of war chronicles, women are portrayed as helpless victims or as passive spectators while men’s bravery is highlighted. Despite these stereotypical narratives, all through history, women have participated actively in conflict acting either as perpetrators, as victims, or as peacebuilders. There is therefore the need for greater recognition of the role played by women in conflict and peace. The United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on women, peace, and security adopted in October 2000 recognises the impact that war, armed, and violent conflict have on women and girls. It also recognises women’s potential and capacity to contribute to establishing, promoting, and maintaining peace.
In 2007, Egodi Uchendu published a book on women and conflict in the Nigeria Civil War, focusing on the activities of the Anioma women and their experiences during the war. That book contributes enormously in reframing gender and conflict as it demonstrates that women also mattered in the Nigeria-Biafra war by recounting the story of the war from the women’s point of view. Despite the importance of this book in bringing visibility to women’s voices in Nigeria-Biafra war stories, it is limited in scope as it centres only on the experiences of Anioma women. Since Uchendu’s publication, several other articles have been written on women’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra war, some of which include:
Christie Achebe’s 2010 article titled, “Igbo women in the Nigerian-Biafran War, 1967-1970: An interplay of control published by the Journal of Black Studies wherein she provides a brief history of the events that led to the war and the role played by women especially in the Biafra sector.
Jacinta C. Nwaka’s 2011 article on Biafran Women and the Nigerian Civil War: Challenges and Survival Strategies published in the Africa Peace and Conflict Journal represents another of such literature. The significance of these works lie in the fact that they bring to limelight the various roles played by women during the Civil War.
Gloria Chuku and Sussie U. Aham-Okoro 2020 edited book however represents one of the first comprehensive and full-length book that studied the Nigeria-Biafra War through a gender lens, particularly by placing women at the centre of the Civil War narrative. With sixteen chapters from authors of different backgrounds and expertise, this edited book takes the narrative to another dimension by highlighting women’s role in various aspects of the war and in the immediate aftermath of the war, including the cost of the conflict on women, their active participation during the war, and the contributions made by these women to the survival of their households, families, communities, and the country as a whole. It also discusses women’s extraordinary resilience, initiatives, and agencies during and after the war.
I found this book to be very interesting and insightful. For example, Ajishola Omojeje’s chapter examines women and new responsibilities in wartime, laying emphasis on the crucial roles and duties performed by women during this period such as providing moral and psychological support, supplying foods and other materials, and even acting as members of the militia. The chapter also provides an insight into the new responsibilities that Biafran women were forced to take during the war especially with their husbands in the war fronts. According to Omojeje, for some women, they had to for the first time in their life become the breadwinners of their home and become actively involved in their communities. This was interesting to read as it shows the challenges women had to undergo largely due to the patriarchal nature of the Igbo society. But, in all, it was insightful to read about women rising up to these challenges to making invaluable contributions in their communities.
I was also fascinated by Gloria Chuku’s chapter on Igbo Women and Post-War Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation Efforts in Nigeria, 1968-1975 because it fits closely with my work and even offers a new perspective that I can explore. In that chapter, she used several examples to demonstrate the discrimination and exclusion of women in the post-war policy of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reconciliation (3Rs) largely because they were not regarded as heads of household. The chapter also showcases the positive contributions of women in the 3Rs especially at the grassroots level, serving as caregivers, teachers, civil servants, healthcare workers, and even assisting in the distribution of relief materials. What is really interesting for me about the chapter is that it showcases the crucial role played by religion and religious actors particularly in the areas of healing and rehabilitation. It also illuminates the peacebuilding roles of Catholic agencies such as the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM), the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Mother of Christ Sisters, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Catholic Women’s Organisation, and the Council of Catholic Women, especially in healthcare delivery and in providing socio-economic empowerment for the less-privileged. This is significant for me because my research also seeks to examine gender inclusivity in Catholic peacebuilding.
I would have loved to read more about the peacebuilding role of the Catholic Church and of Catholic women during the period covered in the book. However, like Gloria said, more research is required on this aspect of the war. Overall, the book contributes greatly in reframing gender role in conflict and peacebuilding, as it gives room for women to tell their own stories about their experiences during the war and in the post-war period.
I enjoyed reading the book and I know you will too. You can order for your copy at: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793617842/Women-and-the-Nigeria-Biafra-War-Reframing-Gender-and-Conflict-in-Africa