Women and the Girl Child: Creating a Conversational Space of Equality

Abstract

The depiction of events in the society and storing the knowledge of such is an important forte of the dramaturge. Drama  has been a very pertinent cultural form (whether textual or performative) through which writers create memory  and knowledge of varying issues, especially issues of women and the girl child rights. Methodologically using content  analysis of Tess Onwueme’s The Reign of Wazobia and The Broken Calabash, the article explores the language of  revolution against the domination of women and the girl child by patriarchal structures. It is anchored on Donal Cabaugh’s theory of cultural discourse analysis (CDA) that focuses on how communication is shaped as a cultural  practice. It illustrates the significance of theatre in the unpacking and interrogation of socio-cultural assumptions of  cultural discourse that perpetuate the marginalization and abuse of women in Nigeria. It further examines the strength  of theatre and drama as capable of creating a space for all concerned to explore and interrogate extant realities. The  findings, through the content of the texts treated showcase an extensive subjugation and discrimination against women  and the girl child. It is in light of this that the study suggests a deployment of a revolutionary space to address  the issues of discrimination and marginalization through conversations by using theatre for development (TfD) method.