Hajiya Gambo Sawaba

A Nigerian feminist and educator who pioneered women's rights and education in Northern Nigeria, challenging traditional norms and advocating for girls' access to schooling.

Hajiya Gambo Sawaba (1925–2002) was a pioneering Nigerian feminist and educator who dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights and girls’ education in Northern Nigeria. Born into a Fulani family in Kano, she became a symbol of resistance against oppressive cultural practices that limited women’s opportunities. Her most notable achievement was her leadership in establishing the first all-girls school in Kano State, the Gambo Sawaba School, which broke barriers for girls’ education in a region where girls were often married off at a young age.

In the 1980s, Sawaba led a historic boycott of government schools in Kano, demanding the inclusion of girls in educational policies. Her activism challenged the entrenched practice of child marriage and male-dominated educational systems. Despite facing opposition from traditional leaders and religious authorities, she mobilized thousands of women to protest and demand equal access to education. Her efforts laid the groundwork for subsequent reforms in Nigeria’s education sector, particularly in the predominantly Muslim north.

Sawaba’s legacy extends beyond schools. She was a vocal advocate for women’s political participation and co-founded the Nigerian Women’s Union, which campaigned for women’s rights and economic empowerment. Her work inspired later generations of activists, including those involved in Nigeria’s anti-child marriage campaigns in the 2000s. Though less globally recognized than figures like Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Sawaba’s grassroots activism reshaped the social fabric of Northern Nigeria and remains a cornerstone of feminist movements in the region.

Her advocacy for girls’ education is particularly poignant given the region’s ongoing challenges with female literacy rates. Today, the Gambo Sawaba School continues to operate, educating over 1,000 girls annually, and her name is synonymous with resilience in the face of cultural and institutional resistance. Sawaba’s story underscores the transformative power of localized, community-driven activism in effecting systemic change.