[Video] When Igbo Girls Still Go Without Dress: St. Monica’s School, Ogbunike, Anambra State, 1935 Creme La de Creme of Female Elite

Discussion about the 21st century distinguished Amazon women in Igbo Land often centres on the contemporary Creme La de Creme of Female Elite, whose footprints would ever stand the test of time in society. However, the fame of these females does not discredit the fact that there were and are a lot of other supper women who were privileged to be in echelon of the highly celebrated in society.

Worthy of note is the inarguable fact that Igbo People as the dominant occupants of the Southeastern part of Nigeria in West Africa, Africa have the unique and ingenious tendencies which always distinguish them among the other people in Nigeria and society at large. In addition to the People’s culture and tradition, it’s a popular fact that Ndi Igbo (The Igbo People), as they are fondly referred to, place substantial values in both their males and females irrespective of one’s gender, especially in the present century.

Nonetheless, at the dawn of civilization, the female gender in Igbo land was said to be religated to the background, as majority were vehemently denied the opportunity to attend school, or gain the level playing field with their male counterparts, either in various families, communities, or States.

Thus, wonderful historical archives discovered has left many wowed as it shows a clip of charming Igbo girls when only few civilized parents of Ndi Igbo had the effrontery to train their female children in school. The video which dates back to December 10, 1935 portrays girls of St. Monica’s School Ogbunike in their beautifully dressed school uniforms.

The archival discovery reflects when most girls in Igboland were going naked. It was the Vogue of marriage at puberty. That’s when puberty was a yardstick to knowing girls who were due for marriage. The photo laconically depict the best crude era of civilization in Igbo land, when education was based on gender, and egalitarianism was at a distance land.