ole for an Ibo woman. It brings her prestige, pride, respect, and happiness. Therefore, traditionally, a failure to give birth would bring despair to the infertile woman. Her husband's reaction would be cruel. In Buchi Emecheta's novel The Joys Of Motherhood, for example, Nnu Ego's first husband tells her frankly why he no longer wants her, saying, "I am a busy man. I have no time to waste my precious male seed on a woman who is infertile. I have to raise children for my line" (p.32)In addition, the woman's status would change; if she must return to her own family, her kin are often loath to take back a barren woman whose bride price maybe forfeit forever; if he stays in her husband's compound, her status will be less than that of other wives, and in times of troubles she might be turned a scapegoat. At this point, she might be suspected of being a witch. In any event, she is left with no acceptable role to play in the world she was reared to inhabit. (Whitaker, p. 101)Women of the same natal village or village group might marry far and wide, but traditionally they would come together periodically in meetings often called ogbo (an Ibo word for gathering"). The umuada's (daughters of a lineage) most ritual function was at funerals of lineage members, since no one could have a proper funeral without their ritual participation. This gave these women a significant measure of power. They also helped to settle disputes among their natal and marital lineages. During the british colonial period the term "gathering" came to be called mikri or mitri ( the igbo version of the English "meeting"). " The Mikri appears to have performed the major role in daily self rule among in daily self rule among women and to have articulated women's intersts as opposed to those of men. Mikri provided womenwith a forum in which to develop their political talents and with a means of protecting their interests as traders, farmers, wives, and mothers." (Judit Van Al...
