FEMALE SUBJUGATION IN ABI DARE'S THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE

AND AIWANOSE ODAFEN'S TOMORROW I BECOME A WOMAN.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The subjugation and oppression of women is not natural. The subjugation of women is

said to have arisen together with the earliest development of class society. “So true it is

that ‘’unnatural’ generally means ‘uncustomary’, and that whatever is usual appears

natural. The subjection of women to men is a universal custom, so any departure from it

quite naturally appears unnatural!...” (Mill 8)

In Friedrich Engels' work, The Origin of Private Property, and the State, he talks about

how female oppression had come to be, throwing emphasis on how humans, at one

point, had not always been unequal. The rise of private property had led to the

inheritance through the male line, producing what Engles had famously called ‘world-

historical defeat of the female sex.’

“One is not born, but rather becomes a woman”(Beauvoir 330), affirming the

unnaturalness of women's subjugation and how society forcefully bends the girl child to

be what she is not, but what it wants her to be—submissive. If submission and

subjugation of women was natural, it will flow naturally from the girl child. There would

be no need for laws, religion, etc to remind them. It is just one sex doing everything in

their power to bend the will of the ‘other.’

Female subjugation, therefore, could be described as the historical and ongoing,

universal and systematic oppression of women or womanhood, placing them in an

subjugation as a socially constructed condition where women are positioned as

secondary and seen as less compared to their male counterparts. “This humanity is

male and male defines woman, not in herself, but as relative to him; she is not regarded

as an autonomous being.” (Beauvoir 26)

In primitive times, even until now, especially in Africa, women and girls have been

historically subjected to various forms of subjugation that are rooted in patriarchal

traditions, cultural practices, religion and socio-economic inequalities. Female

subjugation is seen in limited access to education for the girl child, early and forced

marriages, domestic servitude and violence on women by men, underemployment of

women for jobs, unequal pay for women in the same field as men, and the silencing of

women's voices in both private and public spaces. These practices continue to hinder

the personal development and self-actualization of women, strengthening gender

inequality across generations. Women were viewed as the weaker vessels, as pawns in

the games played by men, as sex objects, as the ‘other’.

There is also outrageous subjugation of womanhood by their fellow women, as seen

in households and society at large, encouraging the man to think they are more superior

to the female counterpart. In the process of instilling home training in the girl child

(which is not limited to taming her), solely for the purpose of marriage and childbearing,

the male child naturally feels entitled to be catered for, pampered and cleaned up after

by their wives, mothers and sisters (any female figure in their lives). Chimamanda

Adichie laments this; “we do a much greater disservice to girls, because we raise them

to cater to the fragile ego of males”(12:53). It is seen in how we train the girl child in
Africa. “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to

girls: You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful but not

too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man(12:53).

This affects the psychological state of the growing mind, causing the girl child to put

man at the center of her being and existence.

We cannot talk about female subjugation without talking about religion, it being one of

the most powerful ideologies operating the society and how it is hierarchically male

dominated. The laws infused into these religions do not allow women any breathing

space, and sees her as a thing instead of a being. God is man, and woman is man,

placing much reverence on the ‘male’ sex, so the female is immediately removed and

rendered to nothing of importance. Some religions like Christianity and Islam, through

the teachings of their Holy Scriptures, subjugate women in favour of men, thereby

serving as a spiritual basis for gender inequality in the society. There are certain places

in the Bible where women are seen as less, and on their necks, hung different labels

and judgements that they dare not put on men.

Western culture also represents women as less and evil, as seen in the part of the myth

of Eve bringing sin into the world, and that of Pandora. It exposes the reality of the

standard to which womanhood is being held all over the world, in every other

civilizations. The subjugation of women is the reason behind the many feminist writings

across regions and geographical boundaries.

Literature revolves around man and his environment as it understands and

interprets human beings, and sees to correcting the ills in the society, by first identifying

those ills and then providing solutions. It mirrors the society. So therefore, a writer's
theme is based on their experiences. Their work, reflects either the political, economic,

cultural or ideological struggles and happenings of his society.

African literature has played a significant role in exposing and challenging oppressive

structures by portraying the lived experiences of women within male-dominated

societies.

Abi Dare's The Girl with the Louding Voice presents the story of Adunni, a young

Nigerian girl whose life is shaped by poverty, child marriage, domestic abuse, and

denial of education. Adunni's experiences reflect the harsh realities faced by many girls

whose voices are suppressed by societal expectations and patriarchal control. In the

same way, Aiwanose Odafen's Tomorrow I Become a Woman, through the lens of

Obianuju, explores the struggles of female characters confronting cultural traditions,

gender roles, and expectations that define womanhood primarily through submission,

marriage and endurance.

The texts portray societies where the girl child's worth is often measured by obedience,

marital status and conformity to traditional gender roles. Girls are made to accept

suffering as a norm, while male dominance is normalized and rarely questioned. These

narratives reveal how family, marriage, religion, and culture are institutes that contribute

to the systematic subjugation of women. The protagonist's struggle and internal

questions symbolize a fight against gender based oppression. By giving voice to

silenced female characters, these authors challenge patriarchal ideologies and

advocate for social change.

This study examines female subjugation as depicted in Abi Dare's The Girl with the

Louding Voice and Aiwanose Odafen's Tomorrow I Become a Woman. The research
seeks to analyze the forms, causes and effects of female subjugation in the texts, as

well as the strategies of resistance employed by the female characters. Through this

analysis, the study aims to contribute to discussions on gender inequality, not without

acknowledging the presence of intra-gender subjugation, that is women on women

gender subjugation at its core, and the role of literature in promoting women's

empowerment in contemporary African society.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

In spite of the increased global advocacy for gender equality and fights for women's

rights, female subjugation is still at a high rise and remains a persisting problem in many

African societies. Cultural traditions, patriarchal values, and socio-economic conditions

continue to place women and girls in positions of inferiority, while religion makes sure

the girl child accepts this subjugation as her fate. These oppressive practices are often

normalized within families and communities, making them difficult to be challenged or

dismantled. In literary representations, female subjugation is frequently portrayed, yet it

is sometimes treated as a background condition instead of being critically examined in

terms of its causes, forms and consequences.

The lack of a focused data analysis creates a gap in understanding how female

oppression is constructed, internalized and sustained across different social spaces.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The study is being carried out to achieve the following objectives:

- To examine the underlying structures and consequences of female subjugation

as depicted in the texts.

religion and gender expectations function as tools of female subjugation.

- To analyze how female oppression is constructed, internalized and sustained in

different social spaces, in the selected novels.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The researcher hopes that the understanding which will be derived from this work, will

help to stir the consciousness of future researchers on Female Subjugation, what

exactly it is, how it came to be and how it affects women at large, while also paying

attention to how it is internalized in the girl child.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The objective of this paper is to understand how female subjugation is orchestrated, and

internalized, using the two texts. The research will be conducted with the help of these

literary texts: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare and Tomorrow I Become a

Woman by Aiwanose Odafen. Each exposing the ill fate of the majority girl child, serving

as mirror to critique the society. Although set in different time frames, they serve as

proof to the historical and still ongoing presence of female subjugation in the society.