Is Umuada, the Powerful Igbo Women Group on the Decline?

 

Is Umuada, the Powerful Igbo Women Group on the Decline?

By Emeka Esogbue

Since foundation, women have played some vital roles in the day to day running of the Igbo society, one of which is the “Otu Umuada” or “Ndi Umuada” organization. Umuada defines a socio-organizational arrangement present in Igbo societies, an umbrella body with which the women contribute to their socio-cultural quota towards their own society. With the Umuada mechanism the women of a given society come together as a group and tend to legitimately pursue, assume and guarantee unconstrained societal growth of their place of abode.

Primarily, the word “Ada” firstly refers to “daughter” but in actual sense, it is the first daughter. By extension, the collectivity of “Ada” is “Umuada” being also the collectivity of individual daughters with recognized roles and functions within their immediate society. Although “Nwada” may also be used as a name for anyone including men in relations to matrilineage, it is not to be confused with “Umuada”, an organization of women by birth or a group of women with functional responsibilities towards their ogbe or lineage in whole. There is no Igbo society that men gather or hold meetings in the name of Umuada because they are not in this sense Umuada. A man may be called Nwada in a maternal home but men are never Umuada or have anything to do with the organization.

Nwada may be a general word that describes a man and women but Umuada is a feminine word which connotes the association of women related by birth within a given quarter. It follows that when more than one man visits his matrilineal home, they are pluralized as “Ndi Nwa Ada” but not “Umu Ada”. They cannot be “Umuada” because the men do not constitute an organization of women. The constitution of men as against Umuada is “Umunna” thus there is either Izu Umunna or Izu Umuada, two groups, for the men and the other for the women respectively.

The Umuada is by far, collectively and wholly the group of women, sometimes too, with women head, established norms and head in which case, they may have “Diokpa” (head). To this end, the women may meet to take decisions on issues either brought to them or on the basis of their observation. In this way, it is a mechanism of women movement within the Igbo society to pursue the objectives or welfare of the women or that of the society wholly. Umuada is the balanced picture of the presence of women in the society that they must exist side by side with the menfolk in inviting good governance while also enthroning peace.

Perhaps, the concept, composition, duties and functions of Umuada can be best viewed in the understanding of Sabastine Adigwe in his address titled “Ibusa Development: New Initiatives in the Role of Women” delivered as opening address during the inauguration of Otu Ehulu Fulu Women Society of Ibusa and published in Agogo Ibusa. in this address as the Chairman of the Occasion of this event, the Owelle of Ibusa justifiably and knowledgeably said of Umuada:

“These are Ibusa women by birth. To qualify as Nwa Ada, you must be at least 25 years old. The Umuada has been instrumental in the maintenance and support of the social fabrics and development of the town. You can see this in their active involvement in conflict resolutions, marriage initiations, consummation, sustenance, celebrations and dissolutions. They play active roles in burials. They enforce certain sanctions and ensure compliance to societal ethos. The organization of Umuada is hierarchical and gerontocratic”.

From Sabastine Adigwe’s definition, it is clear that Umuada are women by birth and that the word, “Umuada” does not refer to just any woman but women who have attained the age of 25 to say the least.

Adigwe also established that their role in the society which are necessarily entrusted them as a group implies dutiful positions. The women are legally conferred with the rightfulness to impose sanctions on erring persons in the society whether man or woman. Indeed, when matters are taken to the Umuada, they look into it and impose a penalty on the one adjudged to be responsible for the reprehensible act. Since the Umuada is an organization of women, it is established with hierarchy and somewhat administered with gerontocracy in which the oldest of the women is the leader.

Since Umuada is a racial concept of the Igbos, the shape, structure and duties of the Umuada may go beyond what is known of it in Ibusa community. For instance, among the Nsukka in Enugu State and neighboring peoples, the duties of Umuada extends to the news of the demise of a relative within the immediate society where their role begins instantaneously. News once broken, the Umuada in Obollo, in the spirit of relationship, rally around themselves and gather in the home of the bereaved where they have to spend days sleeping and waking up with that family while their husbands bring in food that they communally feed on together.

The only women rightly excluded in this rite are those in the Diaspora and maybe the sick but it is traditionally compelling on all women to participate in it or be fined for insensitivity inhumane character towards a kinsman. This rite that once lasted for eight days has now been commuted to four days due to the effects of modern activities such as work. In some particular parts of Imo State, it is also customary for the bereaved family to feed Umuada with tea and bread in the morning before leaving to return the corpse home from the mortuary.

In most part of Igboland, it is also the responsibility of Umuada to observe the corpse of the dead before it is lowered to the ground to ascertain whether it was well taken care of in his lifetime or not. Where it is assumed that the corpse was not taken care of while alive, a fine is expectedly levied on the husband or wife of the deceased.

To this, one esteemed commentator of Betta People of Ndi Oshimili, Pastor Michael Ishedo recalled:

“When I brought the corpse of my elder brother home from Lagos, the Umuada were asked to confirm if indeed the corpse was their brother and they stayed with the corpse until the following morning. It was such a shock to me”.

Widowhood practices cannot also be ruled out as it mostly falls within the cultural supervision of Umuada. In most parts of the Igboland, it is the women that guide the widow through. In Ibusa, the mourning begins just after the umuada have counted some sacred objects into the hand of the widow traditionally known as “igunya ife na aka” and the mourning comes to an end with the consuming of entire materials used by her in mourning on the last day. All through, the women monitor the mourner closely to ensure her faithfulness to the mourning rites in which case she may not be cleared of the mourning.

Traditional marriage may be incomplete without the presence Umuada who will be recognized as important aspect of the ceremony. Since the child is considered to traditionally belong to the society, the Umuada being the mothers and sisters of the celebrant are important hostesses of the marriage ceremony. But it is not all about attending the marriage ceremony. The man or woman may take very serious complaints as infidelity, irresponsibility or cantankerousness to Umuada to look into. Where this is the case, the accused may be summoned to a meeting where the issue is looked into. In an extreme case, the Umuada may intervene on behalf of their brother to take action against the woman.

On the role of Umuada towards marriage, Sunday Iwebo, a culture enthusiast emphasized:

“From the counsel of my grandmother’s sister to me and my wife after our marriage, I can say some Umuada can be good marriage counsellors”.

Initiator of Betta People of Ndi Oshimili, Nneka Edith Obiechie testified to the marriage responsibilities of Umuada when she posted on the Association's Whatsaap platform platform, stating:

“I remember when my younger cousin’s wife misbehaved, my other invited the Umuada to counsel and advise her on her attitude”.  

You have seen that the Umuada may act as a check and balance on any given society. Where anyone by bad attitude towers above the community, the Umuada may take any action aimed at reducing him including imposing potent curses on him in an extreme case.  

Interestingly, the powers of Umuada is seen to be grossly reducing in weight in Igbo societies. Threatened by a number of factors, the once feared, revered and prized Umuada is fast losing its salt. One major factor militating against the organization is that not a few may consider it an affair of the aged or idol worshippers. With suspicion reigning and taking over in which two unrelated people can hardly come together to eat from the same plate, the spirit of communalism has also taken flight. Take for instance, where Umuada needs to be entertained, they may prefer that cash be offered to be shared among them. It is more damaging when returnees from the Diaspora tend to avoid them.

Inter-tribal marriage has not also helped issues. Unlike in the past, a good number of women married from across other ethnic groups may tend to isolate themselves from the affairs of Umuada. This is where in Ibusa, the group, Igbuzo Singles Meet is playing a very vital role in encouraging the Ibusa sons and daughters to marry from within. With homogeneity in language and cultures, endogamy as a form of marriage helps to preserve the culture of a people since one is already familiar with his own cultures. He tends to continue where his forebears left off.    

More powerful men and women especially politicians now seem to influence the women group. The politicians that throw money about have not also been helpful to the women mechanism of societal stability. There are reported cases in which influential politicians gather the Umuada and gift them with money, rice or salt. This tends to shut their mouths from speaking the language of their community. Hardly would the women agree to gather against any such individual with contemptable attitude towards the community at large. In the meantime, while the powers of the Umuada is deflecting, the powers of influential people in the society are on the rise.

It may also seem that a lot more indigenes do not trust in the judgment of Umuada as most civil, criminal and communal cases travel outside their jurisdiction down to the police or court. The women organization is now looked down on more than before. It is also more terrible that the Umuada are widely losing the mechanism for the implementation of decisions. It looks easier for powerful individuals in the society to bypass their instruments of judgment.  

Again, while the Umuada are naturally declining in communal influence, monarchs of communities that should re-institutionalize and strengthen them have not taken interest in carrying out this demand. On this ground, the Umuada are left to decay while other women groups are created to spring up. However, no women group in Igboland can traditionally rise to assume the place of Umuada which best suits republicanism. This is because all women groups expectedly fall under the powers and influence of Umuada.