01619nas a2200241   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002653002000043653000900063653002100072653001200093653001200105100002000117700001400137700001800151700001600169245010700185856011800292300001000410490000700420520093000427022002001357       2021                            d10aGender equality10aIgbo10aIncarnate beings10aNigeria10aRituals1 aChristian Opata1 aApex Apeh1 aChidi Amaechi1 aHillary Eze00aA woman can become a  man : Rituals and gender equality among the Nsukka Igbo of south-eastern Nigeria  uhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85126716729&partnerID=40&md5=4f221765a4101508f219bccb1e038080  a63-750 v163 aScholars of gender inequality tend to neglect ritual as a mechanism that can aid gender equality – even when it is obvious that rituals are cardinal in bridging the equality gap between genders. Basing its argument on the incarnate being institution among the Igbo, an essentially male-dominated institution, this study explains how rituals empower women to attain equal status with men and help them to participate actively in the institution. Questions to address include how women are admitted into the society, nature and meaning-cum-essence of the rituals. Using oral interviews, participant observation, video clips and photographs of women who underwent rituals, this paper argues that ritual is a potent force in the attainment of gender equality. This paper aims to help elucidate the logic of the rituals and bring to the fore how the intangible heritage of an Igbo society helps bridge the gender inequality gap.  a19753586 (ISSN)