Female Husbands in Igbo Land: Southeast Nigeria.

This paper examines the concept of female husbands in Igbo land, southeastern Nigeria. It highlights the issues that necessitated and sustained the phenomenon, and the perpetual conflict and dichotomy within the connotations and ideas of patriarchy in Igbo land. While distinguishing it from lesbianism as practiced elsewhere, the paper argues that unlike other societies, women to women marriages in Igbo land were not contracted in response to the sexual emotions or attractions of the couples, but simply an instrument for the preservation and extension of patriarchy and its traditions. The paper also argues that the concept of Female husband in Igbo land served more of the interest of patriarchy than contend against it. It concludes that the two gender nomenclatures; patriarchy and matriarchy should be re-conceptualized to reflect the eclecticism that has been present in gender relations overtime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]