Funmilayo Ransome Kuti

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900 - 1978)

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti[1] was a Nigerian politician, a teacher, women's rights' activist, an African feminist and founder of the Nigerian Women s union. In the forties, after the British colonial administration had decided measures on meeting rights and tax policy that had drastic consequences for the economic independence of the women in Nigeria, she organised tax strikes, demonstrations and a wide spectrum of measures of civilian disobedience. This drove the administration of the Egba kingdom, which was under the authority of Great Britain, to the brink of collapse. These protests, which caused nation-wide and internationally sensation, came in the history as “Egba Women's War” or "Nigerian Women's struggle".
Her engagement for the independence of Nigeria and against the racism and sexism of the colonial administration, as well as against Ethnizismus with her own compatriot’s led in the nation-wide organisation of the Nigerian Women union, as well as a kind of "woman parliament", which, however, didn't last long in the competition with the parliament of the men.
Because of this she entered the NCNC (National Council of Nigeria and of The Cameroons)
of the later Nigerian president Azikiwe and led the woman wing of the party in permanent conflict with Azikiwe and the party leadership. She was the treasurer of the National Council for Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), Egba division.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti who always wanted a better education for women started the first adult education program for women in the country, which she called “the social welfare club for market women”. Through these clubs, she also helped Nigeria’s independence movement.

[1]Funmilayo Ransome Kuti died of the results of an assassination in 1978.