Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti

Chief
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
MON
Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti MON
	Ransome-Kuti in 1970
Born	Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Olufela Folorunso Thomas; 25 October 1900; Abeokuta, Southern Nigeria
Died	13 April 1978 (aged 77); Lagos, Nigeria
Occupations	Educator; politician; women's rights activist;
Spouse	Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (m. 1925; died 1955)
Children	Dolupo Ransome-Kuti (daughter); Olikoye Ransome-Kuti (son); Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (son); Beko Ransome-Kuti (son);
Relatives	Femi Kuti (grandson); Seun Kuti (grandson); Wole Soyinka (grand nephew); Yeni Kuti (granddaughter); Yemisi Ransome-Kuti (niece); Made Kuti (great-grandson);
Awards	Lenin Peace Prize (1970)

Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, MON ( /ˌfʊnmiˈlaɪjoʊ ˈrænsəm ˈkuːti/; born Frances Abigail Olufunmilayo Olufela Folorunso Thomas; 25 October 1900 – 13 April 1978), also known as Funmilayo Aníkúlápó-Kuti, was a Nigerian educator, political campaigner, suffragist, and women's rights activist.

Fumilayo Ransome Kuti was born in Abeokuta in what is now in Ogun State, and was the first female student to attend the Abeokuta Grammar School.^[1] As a young adult, she worked as a teacher, organizing some of the first preschool classes in the country and arranging literacy classes for lower-income women.

During the 1940s, Ransome-Kuti established the Abeokuta Women’s Union and advocated for women’s rights, demanding better representation of women in local governing bodies and an end to unfair taxes on market women. Described by media as the "Lioness of Lisabi",^[2]^: 77 she led marches and protests of up to 10,000 women, forcing the ruling Alake to temporarily abdicate in 1949. As Ransome-Kuti’s political influence grew, she took part in the Nigerian independence movement, attending conferences and joining overseas delegations to discuss proposed national constitutions. Spearheading the creation of the Nigerian Women’s Union and the Federation of Nigerian Women’s Societies, she advocated for Nigerian women’s right to vote and became a noted member of international peace and women's rights movements.

Ransome-Kuti received the Lenin Peace Prize and was awarded membership in the Order of the Niger for her work. In her later years, she supported her sons' criticism of Nigeria's military governments. She died at the age of 77 after being wounded in a military raid on family property. Ransome-Kuti's children included the musician Fela Kuti (born Olufela Ransome-Kuti), doctor and activist Beko Ransome-Kuti, and health minister Olikoye Ransome-Kuti.

^ Agunbiade, Tayo. "Remembering Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: Nigeria's 'lioness of Lisabi'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference Cheryl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[lioness-lisabi-1] Agunbiade, Tayo. "Remembering Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti: Nigeria's 'lioness of Lisabi'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.

[Cheryl-2] Cite error: The named reference Cheryl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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