News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-10-04
WOMEN IN AFRICA.
Tho Ladies of the Akona Tribe Fix
Their Husbands

MIR. PAUL., who lived for some time il
the CAMERON region, West Africa, tell,
of highly successful Woman's Rights
movement while ago in tbs Akon tribe
illustrating the fact that when women
unanimously assert them in savage lands
as well as elsewhere, they are a great
/ power in the community. In that be
nighted region women are supposed not
to have any rights. When a girl is Il
or II yeara old she is sold to anybody
who has property enough to pay the
/ price her father asks for her, and there
/ after she works like slave for her board
and lodging, and is subject to all the
caprices of her lord and master. Even
the bondsmen in the community have
mOi5 privileges than the free women,
and some of them in time are able to
support rather extensive harems of their
own.
It happened that there were some
strong g-minded women among the Akona
people, and they lifted up their voices in
public places in favor of some radical
social reforms that would make the lot
of wOmankind rather more endurable.
They were jeered at, as women reform
ers have been in some other lands, and
were advised by the superior sex to keep
on digging in the fields and pounding
manioc root, and thank fortune that
their lot was not less tolerable. Reform
was evidently not to be secured by any
amount of feminine protest, and so these
strong minded women put their long
heads together, and decided upon radical
and far reaching measures.
The tribe is small one. Nearly all
the adult females in it enlisted under
the banner of women's rights. One day
their was an enormous cOmmotiOn in
that little community. 1t was almost
wholly confined to the male population,
the fact being that there was hardly
woman there to share the excitement
The mothers and wives, in most un-
expected and heartless manner, had
suddenly dropped their implements of
drudgery, and with their children in
arms and manageable daughters had
hied them through the forests to the
territory of another tribe, where, at
distance of eight or ten miles from their
own garden patches, they were prepared
to open negotiations with the lordly
chaps they had left behind them.
They knew beforehand that they
would meet with hospitable reception
in the tribe with which they took refuge
1t happened that this tribe was larger
than the Akona, and did not like them
very well, and it tickled them half to
death to see the pickle in which the
Akona men suddenly found themselves.
The women set themselve to work earn
ing their daily bread, and waited with
out q bit of impatience for an embassy
from home. 1t was not long before the
put in an appearance.
The Akona tribe was of the opinion |
that they could not continue in business /
the female members thereof, !
aud they wanted the women to come .
home. The particularly strong-minded /
spokesman of the refugees said she was
glad II learn at last that the women of
their tribe were regarded as q desirable
'l2Ut< Of th2--Al7o4la people. As the
women had taken care of all the men, it
vas evident they were able to take care
If themselves, and they hadn't the
Eghtest intention of going home except
N certain important conditions, which
he specified. Then the embassy went
lome-to consult the chief men, vino, as
heir hareuls were the largest, were the
greatest Sufferers by the flight of the fair
sex.
The women stipulated that they would
,ome back if a considerable part of the
agricultural duties of the community
we're in future turned over to the slaves,
f the mothers were permitted to have
to say about the disposal of
heir daughters, sndi several other con-
iitions were complied with. It did not .
AXE long for the gentlemen of Akona to
lecide what to do. A day or two later
he women went back in high feather, |
having achieved n complete victory, and
hey have been treated very we'll ever
Lince.