We look back at the Anlu Rebellion in late 1950s Cameroon, where women forced a colonial government to back down from unpopular farming directives. They united to demonstrate naked resistance and proved their power in calling men to order.
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00:00Traditions help communities take a stand against colonial rule.
00:04In Cameroon, there is a centuries-old practice known as the Anloo.
00:08It was used to call for order in a very particular way.
00:12In 1958, the comwoman of the Bamenda Grassfields in western Cameroon called upon it.
00:17At that time, British colonial officials wanted to change farming practices,
00:22traditionally a woman's domain.
00:24Rumours even swirled that their land would be sold off.
00:28When a local leader tried to inform the woman about the change,
00:31the comwoman surrounded his house, made vulgar gestures,
00:34and the older woman exposed themselves.
00:37Viewing the genitals of an older woman was considered a bad omen in many African societies at the time.
00:43Exposing them deliberately pressured the rule-breakers into conforming with morals.
00:48The British officials were flabbergasted too.
00:51The comwoman continued.
00:52They roamed the streets, set up roadblocks,
00:55destroyed property, and practically took over business for the rest of 1958.
01:00They were the push that brought the Democratic Party to power in southern Cameroon in 1959.
01:06Their two leaders, Fuam and Moana, were named Queen and Divisional Officer respectively,
01:12openly mocking the British colonial administration.
01:15The Anloo had proven to be a very powerful tool of resistance.