Every Wednesday, TNT talks about women who have bettered the country and the world in one way or another.
Hajia Gambo Sawaba – The Woman who fought for Underage Marriages in Nigeria. This woman, Hajia Gambo Sawaba, really knows how to break records. She holds the title for being the most jailed Nigerian female politician and the most jailed female activist of all time. Quite the achievement, I must say!
Can you believe it? They stripped this poor woman naked and beat her in public not once, but twice! Talk about a rough day.
It’s hard to imagine what she must have been thinking during those moments. Absolutely unbelievable. They actually used a broken bottle to shave her head! And as if that wasn’t enough, her advocacy for women landed her a whopping 16 years in jail. Talk about a rough time!
As a child, people frequently characterized her as headstrong and stubborn, and she almost always got into street fights. She asserted, “I could not watch a helpless friend or relative suffer abuse.”
Hajia found herself caught up in the unfortunate tradition of marrying off young girls to much older men during this time. Imagine being just 13 years old and having to say, “I do.” Talk about a twist of fate! Well, talk about starting motherhood in difficult mode! At just 16 years old, she welcomed her first bundle of joy into the world. And if that wasn’t enough, her husband decided to hit the road after getting her pregnant. Talk about a disappearing act! Life sure knows how to throw some curveballs, huh? Well, it seems like lightning struck twice for her. Her second husband decided to make a swift exit after a rather explosive disagreement. Talk about a rocky relationship!
It seemed like every guy Hajia crossed paths with had a knack for mistreating and giving her a hard time. At the ripe old age of 18, she decided to dive headfirst into the world of politics. And who better to guide her than the one and only Fumilayo Ransom Kuti? Talk about starting off with a bang! She waged a valiant battle against the absurdity of marrying off children.
She was all about getting women into the workforce, along with a bunch of other stuff.
Thanks to her bravery, people bestowed upon her the moniker SAWABA, which signifies “redemption and freedom.” Unfortunately, Hajia Gambo Sawaba passed away in 2001, when she was 68 years old.
