Igbo Society.

Carolina Trujillo

Ms.Rharmili

English P2

September 9,2015

Igbo Roles in Society

        The Igbo is one of the three tribes in Nigeria located in the continent Africa. The Igbo society is more than 2000 years old. Life in the Igbo society is different for every person that contributes in it. The roles among men, women, and children influence the Igbo society, which creates the culture and different customs that each have.

The Igbo society is influenced by the people that contribute to it. For instance, Igbo men tend to be very independent and intelligent but they can also be very fortune too. They tend to be independent and intelligent but very shy especially when it comes to asking for help, many people consider them as weak people.(“Gender Roles”). Igbo men always set high goals for themselves, but when they don’t achieve their objective, they may get disappointed. They tend to always have a hard time opening themselves up to others, which leads to having problems with many people.

Men in the Igbo society tend to wear loin cloths in which they are wrapped around their waist and between their legs to be fastened at their back. This type of clothing is appropriate for the enormous heat that they have to be in when they are working, especially farming.(“Arts and Culture”). Men could also tie a wrapper over their lion cloth. Men major piece is the lion cloth.

Igbo men are allowed to get married once their education is complete and they are stable when it comes to financially. Men roles influences the Igbo culture in a way that men must pay to the woman’s father, allowing and saying that he can take years to settle once they are ready to get married. Another main part about a men getting married is that man cannot marry until his oldest sibling gets married. Men in the Igbo culture are allowed to marry as many wives as they wish to as long as they can financially support them.(“Igbo Marriage”). In the Igbo society marriages are not based on love, but on their the family background.

Men contribute to the Igbo society with many professions. For example, some work with market trading, oil exploration, limestone mining and civil servant jobs. The Igbo men are one of the earliest of copper in West Africa. For instance, carving is one of the only craft in the Igbo society. (“Industrial Art”). The craftsmen in the Igbo society produce many things, some highlights are, fierce wooden masks used festivals, burial rituals, purification ceremonies and masquerade parades that are usually taken place in the villages.

        On another hand, women take up a huge part as well in the Igbo society. Now a days women have more freedom than what they used to before. All women are authorized to do their own career they wish to. Women own more power now than they use to in the past. Their rights aren’t stable but the advantage is that they continue to grow and change as time passes.

 Most women at one point of their life they are mistreated Igbo women are usually considered a lower class then men. They are given more tasks and more responsibilities then what men get. In other words, they are expected to do much work, like for example, cooking, cleaning, farming crops, and most importantly care for the young. Women are expected to do the role of a loyal housewife. If a women disobeys what their husband ask for then men is allowed to mistreat the women.

Women in the  Igbo society share some similar customs as to other societies. Women carry their babies on their back with a strip of clothing, between her chest, this technique is still used now days. Young women usually wore “coral jigiba” with beads around their waist with other items, for examples, necklaces and beads.(“Igbo Academy”). In the Igbo society both men and women use a piece called wrapper.(“Igbo Clothing”). The women attire and men attire both have to do with what they do in their daily life.

Women have many responsibilities and things they have to accomplish, but they have goals in life. Igbo women have three main goals in life. First, they want to stay pure for an honorable man. Secondly, is to be submissive. Lastly, is to bear many children. Women role might be one of the hardest roles in the Igbo society but they are praised for their work. (“Women’s Roles”) They are thanked for their arts, like pottery, as well as dancing at religious ceremonies and they are given roles of power like being priestesses and more.

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