Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: A Trailblazer for Women’s Rights in Nigeria
Early Life & Education
- Full Name: Francis Abigail Olufunmilayo Thomas
- Born: October 25, 1900, in Abeokuta, Nigeria
- Died: April 13, 1978
- She was the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School and later traveled to England for further studies.
Career & Activism
- Funmilayo was a teacher, political activist, and women’s rights advocate.
- She played a key role in the fight against British colonial rule and gender discrimination.
- She founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU) in the 1940s, which became one of the most influential women’s organizations in Nigeria.
- She led protests against unfair taxation policies targeting women, forcing the abdication of the Alake (traditional ruler) of Abeokuta in 1949.
- She was an anti-colonial activist, working alongside figures like Kwame Nkrumah and advocating for Nigerian independence.
Personal Life & Influence on Fela Kuti
- She married Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, a prominent educator and clergyman, and had four children, including Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
- Funmilayo’s activism and bold stance against injustice strongly influenced Fela’s rebellious political music.
- In 1977, during a military raid on Fela’s Kalakuta Republic, she was thrown from a window, sustaining fatal injuries. She died in 1978.
Legacy
- She was the first Nigerian woman to drive a car.
- She fought for women’s voting rights and was a key figure in Nigeria’s early feminist movement.
- In 2012, she was posthumously honored with the Centenary Award for Pioneering Women’s Rights in Nigeria.
- She remains a symbol of resilience and activism in Nigeria’s history.
