Village Women Threaten Nudity in Oil Standoff
Unarmed village women holding 700 ChevronTexaco workers at an oil terminal in southeastern Nigeria let 200 of them go but threatened a traditional and powerful shaming gesture if the others tried to leave--removing their own clothes.
Many Nigerians consider unwanted displays of nudity by wives, mothers or grandmothers as an extremely damning protest measure that can shame those at whom the action is directed.
About 600 women, ranging in age from 30 to 90, began the takeover of the Escravos terminal last Monday. They want the oil giant to hire their sons and use the region’s oil riches to develop their villages.
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