The Significance of Women's Leadership in African Religious Tradition and its Relevance to Contemporary Christian Women Ministry

Abstract

Leadership is the process of winning over people to achieve the goals of the organisation. Leadership quality is a concept that is natural and cut across both sexes and in all aspect of human life. This is what African religious tradition found convenient to use particularly in Yorub̀ a ́ society of south western Nigeria that is sparingly present in other religions especially Christianity in the same environment. It has tremendously helped African religion to avoid unnecessary agitations for gender equality. Why is this almost absent in other religions in Yorub̀ aĺand? Is it as a result of cultural background of these religions? These are some of the questions that this paper tries to find answers. To this end, thirty respondents, ten each from the three major religions in Yorub̀ aĺand were selected within Ibadan metropolis for information through telephone interview and quick in-depth interviews conducted and their views content analysed. The study brings to light that culture plays a remarkable role at the background where Christianity emanated from. There, women are second class citizens, a total departure from the Yorub̀ a ́society that is not completely patriarchal in nature. The study proposes that African/Yorub̀ a ́culture should be accommodated within the context of Christianity more than it does now by allowing women leadership since all religions have high level of women participation-besides the fact that this Christianity is being practiced on African/Yoruba ́soil.

Samuel Kayode OLALEYE Ph.D. The Significance of Women's Leadership in African Religious Tradition and its Relevance to Contemporary Christian Women Ministry. Ibadan Journal of Educational Studies, 22(2), 104-115.