The refusal of an Igbo woman, Nwanyeruwa, to comply with a colonial tax directive in November 1929 triggered a widespread uprising across southeastern Nigeria, marking one of the most significant anti-colonial protests led by women in African history.
According to historical accounts, the incident occurred when a British tax agent ordered Nwanyeruwa to declare her livestock and property as part of a planned extension of taxation to women. She reportedly resisted, questioning the basis of the demand with the now-famous remark: “Was your mother counted?”
The confrontation quickly escalated beyond the local community, as news of the encounter spread across the Old Eastern Region. Within days, thousands of women from various ethnic groups mobilised in protest against colonial authorities and the warrant chief system.
The movement, later termed the Aba Women’s Riot by British officials, saw women organise mass demonstrations, occupy administrative centres, and employ traditional protest tactics, including the practice known as “sitting on a man”—a form of collective resistance used to challenge perceived injustice.
Colonial authorities responded with force as protests intensified. Security forces opened fire on demonstrators in multiple locations, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 unarmed women, with several others injured.
Despite the casualties, the protests led to significant administrative changes. The colonial government abandoned plans to impose taxation on women, removed several warrant chiefs accused of abuse of power, and introduced women into local governance structures, including appointments to colonial courts.
Historians regard the 1929 uprising as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s resistance to colonial rule and a landmark example of organised mass protest led by women.
