Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel
The intersection of religion, culture and gender-based violence (GBV) continues to provoke critical debates in feminist scholarship and activism. Although substantial steps are noticeable in terms of addressing numerous forms of violence against women, religion and culture in the African context con...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2024-11-01
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| Series: | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/10210 |
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| author | Esther Mavengano |
| author_facet | Esther Mavengano |
| author_sort | Esther Mavengano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The intersection of religion, culture and gender-based violence (GBV) continues to provoke critical debates in feminist scholarship and activism. Although substantial steps are noticeable in terms of addressing numerous forms of violence against women, religion and culture in the African context continue to promulgate harmful practices. Chika Unigwe’s novel, The Middle Daughter, highlights a world where religion, GBV, social norms, rape myths, silence and agency intersect, shaping women’s lived experiences. Nani, the protagonist, overwhelmed by the loss of her sister and father merely 2 years apart, is lured by a preacher – a wolf in sheep’s clothing – who shoves her into an abusive marriage. Raped but determined to keep the assault under the tongue, Nani further drifts away from her family, friends and community. Imprisoned and battered, yet, Nani’s silent resilience emerges – a quiet but radical strength that defies religio-sociocultural norms. This study is a review of African feminism in eradicating GBV. It discusses how Unigwe’s radical feminist lens unveils the competing female strength and the limits of silence as a form of women’s agency, thereby critiquing the dominant ‘soft’ African feminist approaches.
Contribution: This study adopts a radical feminist theory to critique the ‘soft’ African feminisms which fail to serve women facing the intersectional forces of religion, culture and GBV. It argues that feminist activism in Africa has been going on for a lengthy period, yet the double standards embedded in religio-sociocultural beliefs and practices sustain women’s oppression. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-45a120c8bbff48189edbfed9486cde86 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0259-9422 2072-8050 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-45a120c8bbff48189edbfed9486cde862025-08-20T02:50:38ZafrAOSISHTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies0259-94222072-80502024-11-01801e1e810.4102/hts.v80i1.102106054Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novelEsther Mavengano0The Research Institute for Theology and Religion, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa; and Department of English, Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies, English and American Studies Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany; and Department of English and Media Studies, Faculty of Arts, Great Zimbabwe University, MasvingoThe intersection of religion, culture and gender-based violence (GBV) continues to provoke critical debates in feminist scholarship and activism. Although substantial steps are noticeable in terms of addressing numerous forms of violence against women, religion and culture in the African context continue to promulgate harmful practices. Chika Unigwe’s novel, The Middle Daughter, highlights a world where religion, GBV, social norms, rape myths, silence and agency intersect, shaping women’s lived experiences. Nani, the protagonist, overwhelmed by the loss of her sister and father merely 2 years apart, is lured by a preacher – a wolf in sheep’s clothing – who shoves her into an abusive marriage. Raped but determined to keep the assault under the tongue, Nani further drifts away from her family, friends and community. Imprisoned and battered, yet, Nani’s silent resilience emerges – a quiet but radical strength that defies religio-sociocultural norms. This study is a review of African feminism in eradicating GBV. It discusses how Unigwe’s radical feminist lens unveils the competing female strength and the limits of silence as a form of women’s agency, thereby critiquing the dominant ‘soft’ African feminist approaches. Contribution: This study adopts a radical feminist theory to critique the ‘soft’ African feminisms which fail to serve women facing the intersectional forces of religion, culture and GBV. It argues that feminist activism in Africa has been going on for a lengthy period, yet the double standards embedded in religio-sociocultural beliefs and practices sustain women’s oppression.https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/10210culturegender-based violencefemale agencyradical feminismrape mythsreligionsilence |
| spellingShingle | Esther Mavengano Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies culture gender-based violence female agency radical feminism rape myths religion silence |
| title | Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel |
| title_full | Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel |
| title_fullStr | Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel |
| title_full_unstemmed | Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel |
| title_short | Religion, gender-based violence and silence: A radical feminist reading of women’s agency in Chika Unigwe’s novel |
| title_sort | religion gender based violence and silence a radical feminist reading of women s agency in chika unigwe s novel |
| topic | culture gender-based violence female agency radical feminism rape myths religion silence |
| url | https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/10210 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT esthermavengano religiongenderbasedviolenceandsilencearadicalfeministreadingofwomensagencyinchikaunigwesnovel |