Disruption of patriarchy in northern Islamic Nigeria

Abstract

In northern Islamic Nigeria, prevailing traditions order society so that power is unequally distributed between the sexes. Almost all institutions and social processes in the region reproduce and exert the dominance of men over women, with existing dominance in the region rooted in Salafism. This is a version of Islam that rejects religious novelty and perpetuates the unequal distribution of power between men and women. My paper examines how activities promoting women empowerment destabilise the dominance by men as shaped by Salafist Islam in northern Isamic Nigeria. I used mixed research design for the study to tease out the interconnection of lived experiences, thoughts, and actions. Findings indicate that women empowerment activities of Oxfam, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, and post-secondary Hausa literature (Littattafan Soyayya, novels of love), challenge hegemonic imaginary of Salafism entrench in patriarchal dominance and the centrality of nature over culture. The paper concludes that women empowerment in northern Islamic Nigeria appeal to sensibilities of an ungendered pre-Salafist northern Nigeria where women were active, rational and public. Thus, patriarchy is open to disruption and change when shared indigenous values form the basis of women’s empowerment.

KEYWORDS:

• Decolonisation
• empowerment
• feminism
• indigenous
• patriarchy
• Salafism

Acknowledgements

I wish to recognise and appreciate Ms. Adedoyin Alagbe, Mr Salisu and Mr. Ibrahim Mu’azzam Dahiru, undergraduate students of Sociology, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria, for their assistance in the study’s quantitative data collection and for translating recorded interviews from Hausa to English.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Godwin Etta Odok

Godwin Odok is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Sociology, University of South Africa. His research and teaching interests coalesce in probing the status of social capital in enabling transformative actions for vulnerable peoples’ groups adapt to burdens and benefits of global environmental and cultural change. His other research interests include gender relations, social innovation and entrepreneurship, endogenous development, memory studies, humanitarian studies, spirituality, migration and transnational living. Godwin holds a PhD in Sociology (University of Ibadan, Nigeria); Law Diploma (University of Jos, Nigeria), Certificate in ‘Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Development Practice’ (Earth Institute at Columbia University, USA); Certificate- Introduction to Social Capital (Social Capital Research & Training, Dunedin New Zealand); Training Certificate - Introduction to Research Ethics – Clinical Trials Centre, The University of Hong Kong). Godwin has participated in several local and international conferences/workshops, including the 2012 International Sociological Association (ISA) PhD Students’ Laboratory in Taipei, Taiwan. He has published in the areas of gender relations, African indigenous knowledge, civic participation, higher education, migration, and spirituality.