Feminism and Ecofeminism Consciousness in the Selected Literary Works of Some African Female Writers

Abstract

This paper offers a feminist and ecofeminist study and examines the interplay between gender and ecological consciousness in selected works of some African writers. The study hinges on a critical analysis of women subjugation, power dynamics of the works of some female writers, focusing on the social, cultural, economic, ecological, and psychological constraints that shape the lives of Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter and Scarlet Song, Amma Darko’s Housemaid and Beyond The Horizon, Nawal El Saddawi’s Woman At Point Zero and God Dies By The Nile, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo’s House of Symbols, and Ifeoma Okoye’s Behind The Clouds. This paper explores the connection between the oppression of women and the degradation of the natural environment. The study employs a qualitative, descriptive and comparative approach to identify patterns of female oppression, resistance and subjugation. By employing feminist, ecofeminist, and gender ecological frameworks, the study investigates how patriarchal domination not only subjugates women but also disrupts the natural environment, revealing a profound interconnectedness between social and ecological oppression. The analysis explores men’s exploitative activity and its ravaging effects on women and animals, highlighting how systemic hierarchies generate ethical, psychological, and environmental consequences.