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37 

WOMEN IN YORUBA RELIGION AND 

CULTURE 
 

Prof. Ikechukwu Anthony, KANU (OSA) 
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies 

Tansian University, Umunya 
Anambra State 

ikee_mario@yahoo.com 
& 

Immaculata Olu, OMOJOLA, (SSMA), Ph.D 
Department of Business Administration and Management 

Villanova Polytechnic 
Imesi Ile 

Osun State 
omojolassma@yahoo.co.uk 

& 
Mike Boni BAZZA, Ph.D 

Department of History and International Relations 
Veritas University Abuja (The Catholic University of Nigeria) 

danbazza68@gmail.com 
 

Abstract  
This paper discusses the place of women in Yoruba Culture and 
Religion. It first established the fact that Yoruba culture and religion are 
strictly related. While culture expresses religion, religion is part and 
parcel of Yoruba culture, and these two elements occupy a valuable place 
in the life of the Yoruba. It observed that the Yoruba value motherhood 
even as polygamy was common, targeted at having more children, 
specifically, male children because of inheritance. The women were 
indispensable partners of the men folk; it was the women that managed 
the home and made Yoruba valued festivities a huge success. They were 
not just partners in relation to the men, they assumed leadership offices 
like the Iya Laje.  This paper also discovered that women were the 
sustaining force of Yoruba Religion. Women did not only participate but 
played leadership roles, especially as concerns rituals.  In several cults for 
instance, women were priestesses like, Ìyá Ọ̀ṣun, Ìyá Ògún, and Ìyá 
Ṣàngó. They were also readily accessible to feed the gods and take care of 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    505 

 

shrines. This paper discovered that women were not only well involved 
in the Yoruba life, culture and religion, they were indispensable. For the 
purpose of this study, the phenomenological method of inquiry would 
be employed.  
 
Key words: Women, Yoruba, Religion, Culture, Motherhood, Iya Laje, 
Priestesses 
 
Introduction  
This paper discusses Women in Yoruba Culture and Religion especially 
in the precolonial period. Yoruba people according to Atanda (1989) 
constitute one of the major ethnic groups in modern Nigeria and they 
effectively occupy the whole of Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Lagos State and a 
substantial part of Kwara State. A considerable number of Yoruba people 
also inhabit the South- Eastern part of Republic of Benin (formal 
Dahomey). As a group, they have distinguished themselves in their belief 
and traditions. The Yoruba deities are called Orishas and the oral 
traditions have it that they have more than 420 Deities that are worshiped 
differently without clashes with rituals, music, dances, and prediction 
practices from their priests and priestesses. Yorubas believe that when 
they die, they go to the realm of ancestors where they can still have 
influence on events taking place on earth. They believe in re-incarnation. 
Hence there is a link between the living and the dead. God Almighty to 
them is called Olọ́run.   

Most of the Yoruba people take part in farm work. The men 
grow foods such as corn, yams, cocoyams, nuts, and cocoa. Men are also 
often traders and craftsmen as well. Women do less work on the farms, 
but are important traders as they market their husbands’ farm produce. 
Their rank traditionally depends on that of their husbands. Therefore 
wives of kings, chiefs and Ifa priests were honoured more than those that 
were married to ordinary members of the community.  Some of Yoruba 
values are respect for elders- growing up has benefits. They also value 
honesty, collective community development, cultural observes reflecting 
in their interaction with others- mode of dressing and diets. They also 
value humility and perseverance. And more importantly, they value 
communal life. All these are inculcated in their informal training 
originally called home training.   

Akíntúndé and Fálọlá (2016) summarize Yoruba values as 
follows: “Good virtues can also be learned through proverbs (òwe), Ifá 
corpus (odù), and some mythical stories and parables. Generosity, 
hospitality, and kindness are interconnected and closely related. The 
Yorùbá expect that a person who possesses a virtuous moral character, 



506 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

such as kindness, ought to be generous and hospitable. All virtues are 
intrinsically connected with and relevant to individual and communal 
peace. When these qualities are in abundance, the Yorùbá consider the 
society to have abundant life.” 

Yoruba culture and religion are closely related. While culture 
expresses religion, religion itself is part and parcel of Yoruba culture. 
This is simply their ways of life as well as their belief. Any effort to 
separate culture and religion among the Yoruba will   surely be 
ineffective. According to Olajubu (2008), “the traditional cultural and 
religious practices of the Yoruba people are closely intertwined. In 
traditional Yoruba religion, women are its majority membership and 
sustaining force. Consequently, women play leadership roles in Yoruba 
religion, especially as concerns rituals.” The researcher witnessed in 
some villages in Yoruba land, while women would carry sacrifices in 
afternoon to ensure safety in the environment. At times, they may be two 
or three women doing this at the same time with total enthusiasm and 
seriousness.    

Yoruba believe that women apart from being complementary, 
they are representation of peace and harmony.  Hence the common wish 
and prayer at the beginning of a New Year “ọ́dún á ya’bo fún wa o” (This 
year will bring us all that the female principle stands for). This prayer is a 
representation of the people’s conception of female (abo) and male (akọ). 
A “female year” in this context is a blissful and pleasurable year. Since 
Yoruba belief that symbols of calmness and peace (ẹ̀rọ ̀) represent female 
principles, whereas toughness represents male principles. 

Another important fact about Yoruba women down the ages is 
their trust in motherhood. Motherhood is cherished beyond any other 
thing. Despite the fact that polygamy was common in the indigenous 
Yoruba culture, having children was as good as living or being alive. To 
this, Ilesanmi (2013) opines that “among the Yoruba people, motherhood 
transcends biological readiness” Akíntúndé and Fálọlá (2016) explain this 
concept better in these words “a woman must bear children; 
motherhood is highly valued by the Yorùbá people. A proverb states 
ọlọ́mọ ló l’ọkọ (the one who bears children is the owner of the 
husband).”  Many a time they say olomo lo l’aye (the one who bears 
children owns the world). Therefore, you have names like Omojola (A 
child is greater than wealth), Omoyajowo (A child is preferred to 
wealth), Omoleye (Children are honorable), Omolabake (A child is to be 
pampered), Omobanji (A child awoke with me), Omolade (A child is a 
crown), Omoniosinmi (A child will bury me),  Omolere (A child is a 
reward), Omolaso (A child covers nakedness), Omolara (A child is 
family), Omolayo (A child is joy) in Yoruba culture to drive home the 
fact that children are better than any other thing in life. A mother then 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    507 

 

will stay in her marriage through tick and tin because children are 
involved and many a time it becomes the only reason why they have to 
persevere.  In the midst of chaos, they remove their children first and any 
other thing can perish.   

Akíntúndé and Fálọlá  conclude by saying that  “ a barren woman 
does everything humanly even spiritually possible to have a child, which 
may result in the children of cowives becoming possible targets of attack 
from a barren woman or other enemies.” As they struggle to become 
mothers, the desire to have male children is another important issue. 
Male children are highly valued than female children because of 
inheritance as Ilesanmi (2013) consents therefore, “the heir receives 
much honour but a female child cannot be a heir in Yoruba land.” Along 
with this struggle, they still participate actively in the affairs of the society 
and in religion by taking leadership positions by becoming regents, 
priestesses and even Deities.  
 
Women in Yoruba Culture and Religion 
Women in Yoruba Culture: The culture of Yoruba people reflects in 
their trades and professions, music, dressing, choices of meals or diets, 
celebration of the living and the dead, togetherness, arts and festivals, 
folktales, proverbs, myths and symbols. This culture is also their religion 
and Idowu (1966) asserts to this by saying that “the religion of the 
Yoruba permeates their lives so much that it expresses itself in 
multifarious ways. It forms the themes of songs, makes topics for 
minstrelsy, finds vehicles in myths, folktales, proverbs and sayings, and is 
the basis of philosophy.”    

Yoruba women were always available to take care of their homes 
and children even the extended families. They were useful domestically, 
such as catering, tailoring, and housekeeping. They were helping their 
husbands in farm work as very popular in the traditional Yoruba culture. 
They always break into age groups for support and encouragements 
through regular meetings and connections. Akíntúndé and Fálọlá (2016) 
in their contributions are of the opinion that the precolonial Yorùbá 
woman’s active participation in economic activities allowed for 
accumulation of wealth, through which she accessed sociopolitical space. 
Prominent examples of women who achieved socio-economic power 
and subsequently wielded great political influence in their societies and 
environs include Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà, the Ìyálóde (woman leader) of 
Ìbàdàn and Mọ́gàjí of her lineage, and Madam Ẹfúnróyè Tinúbú, the first 
Ìyálóde of Ẹ̀gbáland. Other women became adelé ọba (regents) to fill 
leadership vacuums in their communities, and some became the ọba of 
their communities, such as in old Oǹdó kingdom. 



508 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

In the culture, Yoruba women were part and parcel of war even 
though men were always at the war front. Ilesanmi (2013) asserts that, 
“while men rely on brute force and medicinal power in fighting wars, 
women rely on psychological and the cult knowledge which are by far 
superior to those of brute force and medicinal aid.” They have a 
particular role to play in all the events of the traditional life be it related 
to peace or to war. In the mind of Ilesanmi (2013) as well, “women most 
of the time were responsible for the happenings of the environment as he 
identifies them as a group that “can cause war, act as instrument of war, 
act in avoidance of war and their role in the formulation of peace treaty.” 
A good example is the story of Moremi, who sacrificed her son 
Oluorogbo to a goddess for her people to have peace. 
 
Women in Yoruba Religion: Yoruba people stand out in their religious 
practices.  They belief in God and in other gods that are closer to them 
and they carve images of them in their shrines. In relation to this, 
Johnson (1921) affirms that “Yoruba people believe in the existence of 
the ALMIGHTY GOD, him they term Olorun- Lord of heaven. They 
acknowledge Him, maker of heaven and earth, but too exalted to 
concern Himself with men and their affairs, hence they admit the 
existence of other gods as intermediaries and these they term Orisas.” He 
went further to explain Yoruba belief by adding that they also belief in 
the future state, therefore the worship of the dead, and invocation of the 
spirits and in the “doctrine of metempsychosis, transmigration of souls, 
hence they affirm that after a period of time, deceased parents are born 
again into the family of their surviving children.” Women are the 
majority when it comes to practicing traditional religion. However, 
Idowu (1966) is of the opinion that Yoruba people are “religious in all 
things.” He states further that “Religion forms the foundation and all-
governing principle of life for them. …the full responsibility of all the 
affairs belongs to the Deity…through all its changing scenes, its joys and 
troubles; it is the Deity who is in control” Women were very much 
ensnared into this religious practices that apart from the time of worship, 
they make their religious practices part of their daily activities. Idowu 
(1966) opines that “usually, women are more religious ones who are 
more frequently caught in this practice by wayside shrines, sacred trees, 
sacred brooks, at cross-roads, or at any other places marked with some 
sacred signs, asking for a blessing on their journey, their work, their 
wares, their family or their private undertakings”.  

As we pay attention to the role of women in Yoruba culture, 
some of them became Deities with specific responsibilities like their 
male counterparts like: Ajé - orisha of wealth, Ayao - orisha of air, Yewa - 
orisha of the river Yewa. Of the maternity and of the children, Nàná 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    509 

 

Bùkùú - orisha of the river and of the earth, Ọbà - first wife of Ṣàngó and 
orisha of domesticity and marriage, Ọtìn - orisha of river, she is hunter 
and wife of Erinlẹ̀, Olókun - orisha of the seas, Ọ̀ṣun - orisha who 
presides over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth, diplomacy and of the Ọ̀ṣun 
river, Ọya - orisha of the Niger River; associated with wind, lightning, 
fertility, fire, and magic, Yemọja - a mother goddess; patron deity of 
women and of the Ogun river and finally Yemowo - wife of Ọbàtálá and 
of the water.  

Each òrìṣà has its shrine and favorite sacrificial offerings, and its 
followers observe a distinctive set of food taboos. Women were readily 
available at these shrines to feed the gods and clean the shrines. They 
equally make provisions for food during festivities. To their followers, 
the òrìṣà bring the benefits of health, wealth, and children, but they 
punish negligence, offences, and the breaking of taboos. Various 
worshippers enjoy the support of the ruler (ọba) and some of the 
worshippers visit the palace to greet him and impart on him the blessings 
of the òrìṣà on their feast days.   

In line with this, Akíntúndé and Fálọlá (2016) arrive at a 
beautiful description on the role of women in Yoruba religion. “Women 
play key roles in religious ceremonies as priestesses and prophetesses. 
Some important deities are female. For instance, several cults, including 
Ọ̀ṣun, Ògún, and Ṣàngó, have women priestesses who are known as Ìyá 
Ọ̀ṣun, Ìyá Ògún, and Ìyá Ṣàngó, respectively.”  They went further to 
explain that Yorùbá women in precolonial period were admitted into 
sacred knowledge (awo). As initiates, such women could participate as 
leaders in high religious ritual practices from which uninitiated men and 
women were excluded. The admission of women into sacred knowledge 
translated into religious powers for those women. They went on to serve 
as diviners (Ìyánífá). 

Yoruba women have mystical powers as they appear week 
physically; some of them have more than they carry outside.  “Yoruba 
people also believe that some women have extrasensory, celestial powers. 
Some of these powers are intended for destruction, and these women are 
referred to as ìyá ayé (women of the world). Women were often regarded 
as atúnnidá, or women who have the ability to affect one’s destiny and 
possibly change such an individual. Akíntúndé and Fálọlá (2016) 

They were the brains behind most of the happenings in cults. 
Ilesanmi (2013) says emphatically that “there is no Yoruba native cult 
without women as its backbone” and always women were deprived to see 
or witness these happenings hence the saying; Obinrin o kii wo oro which 
means that women must not witness the happening within the cults. And 
to this, Ilesanmi says, “It is women who ban other women from seeing 



510 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

the cults.” Apart from women this, “the most powerful women’s cult is 
witches cult” Ilesanmi (2013).  He explained further that men fear them 
most because they decide who should be king and put a mark on him 
from birth. Also, women cults controls men as vanguards; they can make 
men suffer indescribable pains and yet pretend that they knew nothing 
about the genesis of the suffering and they give full support to the one 
they love.     
 
Conclusion 
The participation of women in Yoruba culture and Religion are not 
prominent today like in the traditional culture. Colonization and 
civilization has really influenced these practices. Today, Christianity and 
Islamic religions are becoming popular and women are not taking active 
participation in them. It appears to be men religion. For example, 
women are no longer participating in rituals; they are not even 
recognized in worship. Although in some cases they still take care of the 
places of worship as cleaners but not as prophetesses and priestesses 
except in some white garment churches. Women are still the majority in 
places of worship, at Prayer Mountains and attending vigils, asking for 
blessings on their journey, their work, their business, their family or 
their private happenings. Nonetheless, they are in the minority in the 
political and economic structures of the society. Yoruba women today 
struggle alone in this individualistic society. Thanks to colonial masters 
who brought civilization in its positive parts but this has really destroyed 
Yoruba values and women participation in their culture and Religion.  
 
References 
Akíntúndé A and Fálọlá T. (Eds) (2016).  Encyclopedia of the Yoruba.  Bloomington, 

IN. Indiana University Press. Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. 

www.questia.com 

Atanda J. A. (1980). An Introduction to Yoruba History.  Ibadan. The Caxton Press. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Yoruba_deities 

Idowu E.B. (1966). Olodumare: God in Yoruba Culture. London and Beccles. William 

Clowes and Sons Ltd. 

Ilesanmi T.M (2013). Obinrin: A cultural Assessment of Yoruba Women. Nigeria, 

astra-J. Multimedia Nig.Ltd. 

Johnson S. (1921). The history of the Yorubas. Lagos. CCS Bookshops Ltd. 

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