For centuries, the idea of women as human beings;independent and deserving of dignity has been regarded as a radical concept. Something so simple yet strongly yoked to misogynistic traditions and law has championed debates,  movements and protests across the globe- from Africa through Asia to Europe and America. 

Women continue to face marginalization and subjugation- despite the many victories already won, new battles are fought every day.

 Just like Eneke the bird who has learnt to jump without perching- to outsmart the hunter, women have learnt to rebel against religions, cultures and lifestyles that insist on their suppression. 

One iconic example of the refusal to be silenced and subjugated is the story of Vashti, the Persia queen who refused the king’s command to dance naked in front of his guests. According to the Christian rendition of her story, Vashti was hosting a party for women while their husbands were entertained by the king. 

The singular act of hosting parties for women in Persia, championing women communities at a time when women were merely seen, but never heard, and all women were considered objects of sex, recreation and labour, proves that queen Vashti was a girl’s girl. 

Her refusal to obey her husband’s drunken commands and saying no to his desires to objectify her,  teaches women today that they do not exist as sexual objects for men. Her rebellion, despite the obvious disastrous outcome, garnered positive and negative reactions. Some Rabbis- obviously men, believed Vashti to be an adulteress, a wanton woman who intended to lead women to revolt against their husbands. 

To others, Vashti’s act was the beginning of the actions that led to modern feminism. She defies patriarchy and damns the consequences by refusing to yield to her husband’s wishes. 

Similarly, the legacy of resistance is evident in the life and experience of Buchi Emecheta who in the early 50s, defies the patriarchal Igbo tradition that denies women education. While Emecheta was married off at 16 and sent to London to unite with her husband years later, the marriage turned sour as she was faced with her husband’s abusive and controlling sides.

 Battling poverty, racism and “single parenting”, she starts writing, finding solace in scribbling her experience on tiny papers. 

As a writer, she was silenced many times- the most remarkable being the destruction of her manuscript by an angry and jealous husband, an action that led to the end of the marriage. Separating from her husband at a time where a woman’s worth was tied to the men in her life, and attempting to write about the struggles of African women in country where her existence was considered exotic, Emecheta rebels against patriarchal norms of submission, societal expectations of motherhood, particularly the idea that women must sacrifice their dreams for their children. Today, her writings stand as evident that women have challenged cultures that intend to subdue and silence them as women, writers and individuals. 

Emecheta’s pioneering work paved the way for a new generation of women leaders like Malala Yousafzai. 

At only 11, Malala defies the Taliban's order that prevents the education of women. She spoke heavily on the oppression of women and girls, challenging rules that prevent women from attending classes, seeing doctors, going on walks, playing music and dancing. 

Her blatant refusal to compromise her education and her continuous activism which attracted international attention led to the order for her assasination. Surviving the attempt of murder with critical wounds, Malala would go on to receive a Nobel prize as she turned 17 and champion girl education in Asia and Africa until date. 

The stories of these women- worlds apart as it seem- are linked by their sheer determination to challenge and resist practices that hinders their lives as women. Despite the obstacles, these women showed remarkable determination and strength in the face of troubles. Their stories reminds us that the fight for women’s equality is a continuous struggle that requires courage, determination and commitment.