Is Feminism Compatible With Religion?

At age 16, I stopped going to church; this decision was borne from grief and rebellion towards the church. Filled with interesting stories and threats of brimstone, I was convinced that religion offered me nothing. In hindsight, I realize one of the key reasons for walking away was the stories I read in the Bible multiple times, which treated women unfairly. One that stood out was a Levite who dismembered the body of his concubine after he raped and murdered her, distributing the parts across the tribes of Israel. As I have grown older and more informed about feminism and religion, my decision has remained firm.

Nigeria is largely a religious country, with faithfuls divided along the lines of Christianity and Islam. Often described as one of the most religious countries in the world, a 2019 report by Pew Research embodies this paradox. The widespread expansion of varied Christian and Islamic doctrines across different spheres of society means these faiths have profoundly shaped Nigerian cultural and personal identities. Even our names reflect this religious inheritance.

Although Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state. In practice, Islam and Christianity dominate public life and policy. While there is much to be said about the colonial and cultural displacements that accompanied the spread of Abrahamic religions across Africa, my focus here is more specific: How does one believe in gender equality while practising a religion that often reinforces women’s subordination?