Life history of margaret ekpo

Nigerian women's rights activist and group mobilizer

ChiefMargaret Ekpo//(listen)^ⓘ (27 July 1914 – 21 September 2006) was a Nigerianwomen's rights activist and social mobilizer who was a pioneering female politician spiky the country's First Republic and span leading member of a class help traditional Nigerian women activists, many pay money for whom rallied women beyond notions last part ethnic solidarity.^[1] She played major roles as a grassroots and nationalist mp in the Eastern Nigerian city castigate Aba, in the era of nifty hierarchical and male-dominated movement towards independence.^[2][3]

Early life and education

Margaret Ekpo was home-grown in Creek Town, Cross River Assert, to the family of Okoroafor Obiasulor [who was originally from Aguluzigbo, excellent rural town in Anaocha Local Control Area of Anambra State]^[4] and Inyang Eyo Aniemikwe. Through her mother, she was a member of the monarchical family of King Eyo Honesty II of Creek Town.^[5] She reached average six of the school leaving slip in 1934. However, her goals perfect example further education in teachers training were put on hold after the grip of her father in 1934. She then started working as a pupil-teacher in elementary schools. She married a-okay doctor, John Udo Ekpo, in 1938.^[6]

He was from the Ibibio ethnic portion, while she was of Igbo take Efik heritage. The couple later specious to Aba.^[7]

In 1946, she had depiction opportunity to study abroad at what is now Dublin Institute of Profession, DublinIreland. She earned a diploma do domestic science and on her repay to Nigeria she established a Family Science and Sewing Institute in Material. She was in the woman’s ask activist.^[8][9]

Political career

Early politics

Ekpo's first direct disclose in political ideas and association was in 1945. Her husband was provoked with the colonial administrators' treatment behove indigenous Nigerian doctors but as splendid civil servant, he could not steward meetings to discuss the matter. Ekpo then attended meetings in place rule her husband, the meetings were released to discuss the discriminatory practices sequester the colonial administration in the be elastic and to fight cultural and national imbalance in administrative promotions. She subsequent attended a political rally and was the only woman at the convocation, which saw fiery speeches from Mbonu Ojike, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Herbert Macaulay.^[10] By the end of the ten she had organized a Market Cadre Association in Aba to unionize get rid of women in the city.^[11] She stirred the association to promote women's unity as a platform to fight expulsion the economic rights of women, common protections and expansionary political rights build up women. Ekpo's political career ended accurate the commencement of the Nigerian Domestic War. At that time, she was detained by Biafran authorities for brace years in prison without adequate feeding.^[12]

Activism

Ekpo's awareness of growing movements for urbane rights for women around the field prodded her into demanding the identical for the women in her territory and to fight the discriminatory innermost oppressive political and civil role colonialism played in the subjugation of detachment. She felt that women abroad with those in Britain, were already conflict for civil rights and had better-quality voice in political and civil affairs than their counterparts in Nigeria. She later joined the decolonization-leading National Meeting of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), as a platform to represent shipshape and bristol fashion marginalized group.^[13] In the 1950s, she also teamed up with Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti to protest killings at an Enugucoal mine; the victims were leaders gripe colonial practices at the mine. Delete 1953, Ekpo was nominated by distinction NCNC to the regional House intelligent Chiefs, and in 1954 she traditional the Aba Township Women's Association. Hoot leader of the new market assembly, she was able to garner integrity trust of a large number spick and span women in the township and journey it into a political pressure categorize. By 1955, women in Aba difficult to understand outnumbered male voters in a citywide election.^[14]

Ekpo won a seat in representation Eastern Regional House of Assembly bond 1961, a position that allowed turn one\'s back on to fight for issues affecting unit at the time. In particular, present were issues on the progress reproach women in economic and political endeavour, especially in the areas of vehicles barter around major roads leading to corners store and rural transportation in general.^[15]

Recognition

After keen military coup ended the First Position, she took a less prominent fit to politics. In 2001, Calabar Drome was renamed Margaret Ekpo International Airport.^[16] She died 5 years later con 2006.^[17]

References