Basden

Young Igbo girl from the early 20th century. Photo by G. T. Basden.

The Concept of the ‘Girl Wife’ in Igbo Society: Perspectives from G. T. Basden’s Among the Ibos of Nigeria

The concept of the “girl wife” in traditional Igbo society, as discussed by Anglican missionary G. T. Basden in his 1921 work Among the Ibos of Nigeria, provides insight into the social structure and marriage customs among the Igbo people in the early 20th century. Basden’s observations highlight a practice where young girls, often before…