Wichita eagle., 1888-10-24
WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN AFRICA.
Tho Ladies' Of the Akona Tribe Bring
Their Husbands to Terms.

Tho Ladies' Of the Akoua Tribe Bring
Their Husbands to Terms
Mr. PAUL., who lived for some time in
the CAMERON region, West Africa, tells
of a highly successful woInan's rights
movement while ago in the Akona tribe
illustrating the fact tha: VIXEN 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 not supposed
to have any rights. When a girl is IL or
II years old she is sold to anybody who
has property enough TO pay the price her
father asks for her, and thereafter she
work, like o slave for her board and
lodging and is subject to all the csprices
of her lord and master. Even the Bonds
men in the community have more priv
ileges than the free women, and some Of
them in time are able to support rather
extensive harems of their own.
1t happened that there were some strong
minded women among the Akona people.
and they lifted up their voices in public
places in favor of some radical social TO
forms that would make the lot of woman
kind rather more endurable They were
jeered at. as women reformers have been
In some other lands, and were advised By
the superior sex 10 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 50 these strong minded
women put their long heads together and
decided upon radical and far reaching
measures.
The tribe is a small one. Nearly al the
adult females in it enlisted under the ban
ner Of vonens rights. One day there was
an enormous connection II that Httle
community. IL was alrnos: wholly con
fined TO the male population, the f2ct
being that shere wes hardly woman there
20 share the excitement. The mothers
and wives, il q most unexpected and
heartless manner. had suddenly dropped
their implements c: oradge-y. and with
their children n arrps and raarri&geable
daughters had hled them through The
forests to the territory Of another tribe.
where. al ? distance Of eight or Ten niles
from their own garden patches, they we're
prepared 70 open negotiations with tie
lordly chapel they had left behind them
They knew beforehand tia. they would
nee; with hosyitsbls reception In tbe
be Tffa Ef.lCis I1eF LOS& FeI4sse -
happened that this tribe YVES larger than
the Akoaa. and dtd nc: Ike then ysry
wall, AID il ;ickisd them half e death 20
SEQ the pickle Ia which t3e Akoua men
suddenly found tbsraSelvss- TIE WOMEN
So. themselves 20 work earning tEesr
daily bread. AID waited without biz oi
irape.iencn fer sn embassy frvEa hozne IL
was 10. lo.1x before the eEz tsAssy pat IN AZ
sPPe-aoce.
TIE Akola tribe vzs o. tie op.1i1a TIA.
they could not coatkn@e II BUSINESS
without Ire female rsez hs-s ths-so.. sz.6
thsy wanted TIE vol1sn 20 cozs kozss-
TIE particularly stro1g minded sf,oses-
usa Of tie refugees sid she Wa gl-d %
earn 81 las; that TIE zszeo % tier
tribe were regarded as a ces.rAS-s s2s-
zsea- O. the AkcI.2 psop!s. As tbs worsea
lad .skca carr Of al lie Eea- = Wa eTf-
6en; they rs-e able 20 taxa carr u ths-n
selves. ard they bzoat TIE slightest Ia
;eation Of gong home exc~Fs On ee--ass
i-nu.oytar.. cor1.:sosas. witch she E,,sr1ssva
Thar t. zbAssT wei. kurua &c oo-sast
the ciie. raez. wao. - thet- hArc--s were
tie lzygee. ~er- ne CRATES. szaer>r By
II. ssyn- Of tie far SCI
Tee WOMEN stipulated that ,bey would
eo=s tack j. . oe-8see-Ssls par. Q. tss