Women’s Oppression of Women: The Case of Jụọchi in Tagbo Nzeako’s Jụọchi

Over time, experiences and discussions in diverse socio-intellectual media and fora have established oppression of women as one of the strong themes of human existence. The condition is considered a problem that spans virtually all aspects of human vocations, including leadership and governance. And its perpetration has solely been attributed to men. A simple observation of general societal politics, right from the family unit, seems to corroborate the view as men’s domination of the scene suggests that they had to suppress women’s rights to achieve the domination. Yet, a more analytic finding on the problem reveals that women are also culpable in oppressing themselves. White and Kowalski’s (1994) theory of myth of female non-aggressiveness corroborates this where it establishes that women aggress on each other, especially whenever and wherever they have opportunity to relate with, lead or govern themselves. Although the tactics which they (women) dispense oppression on each other may not be as physical, overt and direct as that of men, its subtle, covert and indirect expressions delivers the same or even worse impacts. This essay aims at deploying method of analysis to explore the case of Jụọchi in Tagbo Nzeakọ’s Jụọchi, particularly with a view to ̣ ̣ projecting the notion that women oppress themselves especially in leadership positions. It concludes that women need to be tolerant and accommodating of each other so as to aspire to leadership positions and govern society equally with men.

Keywords: Womanhood Oppression Leadership Analysis Men's Domination

Author

• Ujubonu Juliet Okide, Ph.D.
  Department of Linguistics, African and Asian Studies
  University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos
  Tel: 08034004320, 08023024067
  Email: ujuokide@yahoo.co.uk