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Summary
December 8th, International Women’s Solidarity Day, urges women to unite against patriarchy's fracturing hold. Inspired by icons like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and the Aba Women’s Riot, it calls for collective action to challenge oppression and prioritize women’s shared liberation.
December 8th, the International Day of Women’s Solidarity, demands an honest conversation about how patriarchy continues to divide and conquer us. Our mothers and grandmothers understood the power of female solidarity; they didn’t just talk about it; they lived it, fought with it, and changed society with it. Today, some Nigerian women are yet to understand the systemic issue of patriarchy, with many still competing for male approval.
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, one of our foremothers, embodied the true essence of women’s solidarity. She refused to sit in her comfortable home as a clergy’s wife while other women suffered. Instead, she mobilised thousands of women across class lines to fight against unfair taxation and colonial oppression. She chose to speak Yoruba to connect with grassroots women rather than speak English to prove her worth to men. Her legacy lives on in every woman who dares to stand up for collective liberation rather than individual gain.
The Aba Women’s Riot of 1929 stands as another powerful testament to what women can achieve through solidarity. When colonial authorities threatened their economic independence, these women united across ethnic lines, social classes, and age groups. They didn’t ask politely for their rights; they demanded them with one voice, one purpose, and one unshakeable solidarity. The British didn’t fear individual women; they feared women’s collective power.
Today’s reality is a stark contrast. Nigerian women have become accomplices in their own oppression. We witness women shaming others who speak up against sexual harassment with questions like “What was she wearing?” Society celebrates women who declare, “I’m not like other girls,” as if distancing themselves from their sisters will somehow grant them male approval. Silence persists when women face domestic violence because “it’s a couple’s fight.” This betrayal of sisterhood must end.
The competition for the position of “favourite” in male-dominated spaces, in politics, in the corporate world, and in religious institutions all reveals how deeply patriarchal conditioning runs. Women who play by patriarchal rules, who strive to become the exception, fail to see that the system remains designed to keep all women oppressed. No matter how well anyone plays their game, the house always wins.
The “women are their own worst enemies” narrative is nothing more than a patriarchal tool designed to prevent the recognition of collective power. When one woman succeeds, a celebration should replace competition. When abuse occurs, solidarity should override judgment. When truth speaks to power, support must drown out silence.
Market women in Nigeria demonstrate true solidarity by supporting each other’s businesses, watching each other’s children, and pooling together resources to help members in need. This model should be applied across all areas of life. Professional women must mentor their younger colleagues instead of viewing them as threats. Women in politics must work together across party lines to advance women’s rights. Strong support systems must emerge so no woman stays in an abusive situation for economic reasons.
Patriarchy offers individual women temporary privileges in exchange for compliance, but these privileges remain conditional, revocable, and always come at the cost of collective liberation. Is that woman competing for male approval? She is an ally, not an enemy. That feminist activist labelled “too extreme”? She fights for every woman’s rights. That market woman others look down upon? She understands solidarity better than many degree holders.
The spirit of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti must live again in this generation. The solidarity that powered the Aba Women’s Riot must rebuild itself. New forms of collective resistance must address today’s challenges. This means supporting women-owned businesses, even when male-owned alternatives cost less. This means believing and standing with survivors of sexual violence, even when the perpetrator holds power. This means fighting for all women’s rights, not just the ones that affect certain individuals.
Every Nigerian woman must join this fight. The time has come to stop seeing other women as competition. The silence enabling patriarchal violence must end. The illusion of winning by playing by their rules must shatter. Networks of solidarity must arise in every community. Women’s voices must rise in support of other women. Resources must be pooled to support women’s independence.
Solidarity goes beyond holding hands and singing together. It demands concrete actions that challenge patriarchal power. It requires choosing women’s collective liberation over individual privileges. It means understanding that each woman’s freedom binds inextricably with every other woman’s freedom. The era of competition has ended. The time for solidarity has arrived. The call for unity echoes across the nation. Will you answer? Will you stand with your sisters or stand against your freedom?
