Nigeria, Sept. 19 -- For much of Nigeria's early policing history, the uniform was considered the exclusive preserve of men. Women could be policed, questioned or protected, but they were not permitted to serve as police officers.

That began to change in the 1940s and 1950s, when prominent women's rights campaigners - including Oyinkansola Abayomi, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Margaret Ekpo and Elizabeth Adekogbe - intensified demands for women's participation in public institutions and national decision-making.

Through petitions, protests and political advocacy, these women confronted a colonial establishment that regarded policing as unsuitable for women. Their campaign was part of the broader struggle for political representation, equalit...