Article Details

The paper examined the complex dynamics surrounding female circumcision in colonial Oyo, Southwest Nigeria. The methodology employed included historical research. Primary sources included oral interviews and archival materials. Secondary sources included textbooks, journal articles, newspapers and internet information. The collected data were subjected to qualitative analysis. We explored how traditional practices clashed with modernist ideals imposed by British colonial powers. The research revealed that female circumcision was a site of contestation between traditional Oyo culture and colonial modernity. While colonial authorities viewed the practice as barbaric and oppressive, Oyo traditionalists saw it as an essential rite of passage and a marker of cultural identity. We argued that the contest over female circumcision was a struggle for cultural dominance and a reflection of the broader tensions between traditionalism and modernism in colonial Oyo. Our findings contributed to a deeper understanding of the complex power dynamics and cultural negotiations that shaped gender, identity, and tradition in colonial and postcolonial contexts.

Female circumcision, Colonial Oyo, Cultural contestation, Gender, Identity,