Gender Issues in Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo’s Trafficked and Zaynab Alkali’s The Virtuous Woman
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF STUDY
The main purpose of this study is to examine the reason for women oppression and discrimination in our society and thus encourage the liberation of all women. This study will be subjected to Akachi and Alkali’s Ideology on gender issues that is enhancement of gender education especially women and women empowerment in the society.
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
AKACHI ADIMORA EZEIGBO
Ezenwanebe (2006) points out that Nigerian women are ordinarily appreciated for their special roles as daughters, wives and mothers. The social construct of a female essence is based on patriarchy, the notion that men are on top of women and superior to women in at things, placing women at a secondary and marginalized position as the ‘Otherness’ of men. Ezenwanebe further emphasizes that Nigeria in general and Igbo women in particular accepted the marginalized position in the society when she was not aware of any other alternative. He emphasizes that; she has no access to position and wealth, she is excluded in decision making.
Recently, women are coming to a level of awareness and therefore are ready to wrestle for equal power with men.Grayon and Falaiye opines that Ezeigbo’s intention in writing novels is to write about the relationship between men and women and about women empowerment and experience in religion conflict in the Society. Falaiye insists that Ezeigbo’s intention is to learn about the impact of negative tradition, ill-treatment of widows, the marginalization of female children and the strength is in creating strong female characters especially in traditional society.
Newell emphasizes that Ezeigbo’s novels deals with the improvement of the economic and social situation of women who are largely subjected to male domination. Women are Frequently portrayed as Victim of men; Ezeigbo portrayed this in Trafficked (2008) using Baron, a mulatto man as an example, man who uses female for his sexual motif. Also, women are Frequently portrayed as Victims of men, second class citizens and unempowered.She exposes the social problems faced by women and indicates what the solutions are.
Ezenwanebe (2005) in his critical review of the Ezeigbo’s works, writes that Ezeigbo’s aim has been a search for and a recreation of a female Okorigwe (an Igbo legendary warrior) who signifies the heroic strengths of women and a celebration of their indomitable spirit in the face of socio-cultural oppression. Ezenwanebe added that Ezeigbo’s novels are social issues or criticism and epic dimension in its treatment of social issues which includes that criticism or religion as a tool of exploitation, the horrifying effects of Nigeria civil war, the reality of gender inequality and the female oppression that exists in Nigeria and Igbo society in particular.
AkachiAdimoraEzeigbo has published so many novels, short stories including critical works like Facts and fiction in the literature of the Nigeria civil war (1991) and Gender issues in Nigeria A femining Perspective (1996). But her recent novels includes The Last of the strong ones (1996), House of symbols(2001), children of the Eagle (2002) and Trafficked (2008). In all this works of Akachi, the ideas and the message in them are the same, she condemn patriarchy by making women the central characters of the novels, for instance in House of symbols (2001) she presents the ‘Umuga Saga’ from the prisms of the women Folk and in Trafficked (2008) She presents ‘Nneoma’ as a Victim of Circumstances.
Ezenwanebe also emphasizes on the reason for Ezeigbo’s exposition of the social convention, cultural norms and traditional practices that are to oppress and marginalize women especially in the Eastern part of Nigeria as well as to cerebrate women struggle for freedom and survival.
CHAPTER THREE
GENDER EDUCATION
The African girl’s education must be adapted to her personality as an African woman if she is to fill with dignity her role in African society. Her education most be well rounded not only intellectually, but from the moral and religious view points as well, because an educated woman is a great investment to her children, her husband and her parents, but most of all to her country.
Historically, when the missionaries established the formal education system in Africa, they did so by infusing some patriarchal ideologies into the educational system, one of which was the belief that boys rather than girls would benefit more from the school system, for years women’s history became that of docility and domesticity consequently, young girls were to stay at home to practice and perfect their domestic skills which included how to behave as appropriate and responsible wives and to maintain proper hygiene of their husband’s house. The boys on the other hand, were taught how to read and write. This ushered in the first gender gap between boys and girls that has apparently persisted over the years, unchallenged particularly in Africa.
CHAPTER FOUR
Social Injustice: Women Trafficking in Akachi’s Trafficked
Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed of unfairness or injustice of a society in it divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities. This is distinct from those of justice in law which may or may not be considered moral in practice or form the concept of Justice within a coherent ideological system, which focuses on just process rather than an incidental inequalities. Opposition to social injustice is increasingly a platform of emerging political parties social injustice arises when equals are treated unequally and unequal are treated equally. Some Authors have used literature to denounce or to satirize and perceived social injustice in their societies. Examples of such authors are NiyiOsundare, TatamkhuluAfrika, Jane Aisten, Charles Dickens etc social injustices are done to may people in the society especially women and this is caused by certain barriers that prevent full social justice.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
This essay comprise of five chapters. Chapter one is the general introduction on gender. Then it shows the purpose, justificationscope, researcher methodology and structure of the thesis,chapter two is the literature review where the selected authors other workswere reviewed and supremacy of man to woman, then the portraitureof female character by male authorswere discussed. Chapter three containstheanalysis of ZaynabAlkali The virtuous woman, and chapter four deals with the analysis of AkachiAdimoraEzeigbo‘sTrafficked While chapter five is the Summary and the conclusion part of the thesis.
This essay achieved its aim in able to verified the reason for women oppression and female subordinationin AkachiAdimoraEzeigbo’sTrafficked and ZaynabAlkali’s The virtuous Woman. The authors are so vociferous in condemingthe dichotomyin the worlds of men and women and the society that created them. The world now, has changed from the traditional to the modern ways as a result of civilization, therefore the treatment of women also should bechange to good.
But, we discovered that females have refused to sit back and let their husbands provide all thenecessary things for them as done in the olden days or allow their husbands to dictate the tune for them. The women are rising to the position where they can not allow men to trample upon them like their great grand mothers. A woman has now occupied the literary and circular world. The authors AkachiAdimoraEzeigboand ZaynabAlkali does not suggest solution to all the problems of women but rather stimulates the women to rise up to the level of self-economic dependence. They emphasized that women should be able to stand up to their rights in the patriarchal society and they calls or persuade the men to learn to treat women with dignitynot as slaves but as equals in everything.
The marginalizationof African women, with the accompanied subjugation of their gender has led to a series of literatures, which today are geared towards a redefinition of African womanhood in correct perspective, the stereotypical portrayed of women as silent,passive beings has given way to new perspective, which portrays women as strong, articulate and as achievement Oriented as AkachiEeigbohas rightly observed. There is no doubt that the Image of women in African literature has shiftedfrom being ‘Object’ to ‘subject’as many writers especially women have given their female character‘agency’. There is a recognizable shift in women’s writing and this is a result of change in the materials or psychological condition of women or n the Vision of the newer women writers.
Also women refused to be seen as second class citizens they are beginning to gain access to social things in life. And with this struggle, they were able to gain title like traditions titles in the society.
Findings
In recent times, eyebrows have been raised on the issue of equality of the sexes. A part from the fact that male chauvinists are skeptical about feminist movements, they also consider the hullabaloo raised by these women as nothing but a storm in a tea-cup. However, judging from the recognition which is being accorded to these organizations in many quarters, one would agree that feminism as a course for women’s right has come to stay. The concepts of equal rights among the gender has created an awareness in women who are now determined to partake fully in their environmental developments. Now, women all over the world are gradually succeeding in breaking the traditional position of male supremacy in all sharesof human endeavourshither to consideredas strictly ‘masculine’. The roles of men are being felt in the political, economic, educational and social structures of many countries of the world today. A bold step to revolutionize the role of women in the rural setting of Nigeria is being embarked upon by Dr Mariam Babagida, the ex-first lady of Nigeria, under the organization of Better Life for rural women.
Today in Nigeria and Africa, qualified women have changed into professions that were once regarded as exclusively for men. Women now occupy challenging policy making position Names like sen – Rukayat G.SarakiElizabeth Adekagbe, WuraolaEsan, MrsmargeredEkpoare central in the struggle for women emancipation Therefore, a handful of women have risen to greater heights in the private and public sector. Already, there are female departmental heads club leaders, engineerspilots and Lecturers.
Prominent among them are ToyinOlakuri, a chartered Accountant,Mrs Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, the managing Director of Bewacgroup and one time the chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and a prominent member of the interim government and also a competent female lecturer in department of English Dr (Mrs)V.A Alabiend others.Consequently, the outcome of many years of dedicated work of these individuals and organizations has helped to gain almost world wide recognition for the political, economical, educational and social rights of women.
Furthermore, the women writers in Africa has a special task. She has to present the position of women in Africa in all its aspects. There is still so much injustice done to women. The women were continuedto be discriminated. In the family, in the institutions, in society, in the street, in political organizations, discrimination reigns supreme,as women must work for their own future, they must overthrow the status quo which harms us and no longer submit to it. They should not accept the nostalgic praise to the African mother, who in this anxiety, man confuses with mother African. Within African literature room, women must fight with all their might to gain their ground.
Finally, this researcher has provided another avenue for the understanding and the redefinition of gender role to be characterized by fundamental equality of rights and opportunities between African men and women. The continuousdefiance and denigration of women in addition to their exclusion from decision making process will equally create a future based on economic sterility.
Therefore, let Africanwomen wake up to their responsibilities and soar higher like the eagle in the sky.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Sources
- Alkali Zaynab (1986). The virtuous woman. Lagos: London company, Nigerian EzeigboAdimora, A. (2008). Trafficked. Lagos: lantern Books Literamed Publications, Nigeria.
Secondary Sources
- Abrams, M.H. (1969). A Glossayof Literacy Terms: Sixth Education. New York: Harcourt Brace college Publishers.
- Achebe, C. (1984). Things fall Apart. Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books
- Adewoye, S.A (1980). The Role of women in Traditional literatureIlorin: University of Ilorin
- Adimora-Ezeigbo, T.A (1993). A companion to the Novels lagos: Vista Books Limited.
