Chinwe Okechukwu

No Say in the Matter - Cassava Symphony Chinwe Okechukwu

Oyilidiya had an enviable life in Jos, one of family and community. When her sons were killed in a pogrom, ultimately leading to the beginning of a civil war in Nigeria, her life changed in an instant. In that moment, she lost what had defined her- a wife and a mother in a traditional African society. Women had no say in the decisions that led to the war, but they became invisible victims. They lost property and family, worked laboriously, and faced hunger, disease, and terrifying air raids. No Say in the Matter is the first part of a trilogy spanning three generations of Oyilidiy's family, exploring the place of women in a patriarchal society. The evolution of women and the space allocated to them in this society, form the bedrock of this trilogy. Look out for the second part, No Say in The Matter: Yam Rhapsody.