Gender bias in selected Igbo novels
Abstract
This study investigates gender bias in selected Igbo novels and examines novelists’ commitments to advocate gender balance in their literary works of art. The selected Igbo novels are: Ubesie’s Isiakwu Dara N’ala (1973), Nzeako’s Nkoli (1973), and Meniru’s Nwaeze (1978). Literature mirrors society, and it is through writers such as Igbo novelists that equitable gender relations are promoted within Igbo society. The objective of this study is to determine whether Igbo novelists portray both positive and negative images of male and female characters, which are essential for social cohesion and national development. The study also explored other factors that perpetuate gender imbalances in Igbo society. The study adopts a qualitative research design. Data were collected through close textual analysis of selected Igbo novels. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive qualitative methods. The theory of liberal feminism was adopted to analyze the data. The study’s major findings reveal that most Igbo novelists are not gender-neutral. While some novelists advocate for the emancipation of women, others reinforce female marginalization. The findings of the study further reveal that gender bias has its roots in primary socialization, particularly within family structures that construct and perpetuate male dominance. Culture, media, religion, education, and peer groups reinforce existing gender imbalances and injustices that pervade many spheres of social life. Colonialism has also contributed to entrenching existing gender biases among the Igbo. This study contributes to feminist literary criticism by highlighting how Igbo novelists negotiate gender balance in their works.
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