Female Traditional Militancy in the Bamenda Grassfields: The Case of “Anlu” of the Kom Fondom, 1928-1972

The struggle for gender equality and enchanting discourses on egalitarianism in governance and other sectors have ignited multidirectional policy and scholarly interest in women and their participation in varied aspects of public life. While the drive for female emancipation has gained enormous ground in the global North, its parallel push in the global South, especially in Africa, has been relatively muted. There has been a neglect, in policy and scholarly circles, of women’s ability, under certain circumstances, to resort to violence or protest against patriarchy or some forms of domination. In African societies, there have historically been various forms of female protest which unfortunately have been given scant attention. In the Bamenda western Grassfields of Cameroon, a historically glorified sanctuary of patriarchy, forces of change – notably education, Christianity and changing worldviews and perceptions of property ownership – provided opportunities for women to seek various ways of addressing or highlighting their grievances. This approach overwhelmingly led to protests and various forms of militancy, overturning conservative perceptions about the female folk. This study lingers on these mutations to show the spiral of female militancy in the Grassfields with emphasis on Kom. The paper draws from a careful review of oral and written literature and a consultation of (especially Kom Fondom) sources. Over 70% of the information for this study was obtained through written sources. The study finds that the changing dimensions of female revolt were thanks to the courage and determination of some key persons in the Kom Fondom like Fuam, Muana and Jua Nathalia Nuh. They and their successes served as inspiration for neighbouring villages in which similar associations such as “Fembue,” “Ndofumbue” and “Takumbeng” of Aghem, BabakiTungoh and Bafut, respectively, were created.

.

Keywords: Mutations, Grassfields, Anlu, and Kom