Feminism and Intra-Gender Relations in Africa: A Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Feminism is the principle that stipulates that women be given political, economic and social rights equal to those of men. It is also the movement that seeks to raise vibrant women who will be culturally influential and politically powerful. Therefore, it seeks to demand for representation and recognition of women and to wage war against sexual discrimination in the labour force, in education and all works of life. This paper aims to assess the ideology of feminism and feminist criticism, with the view to affirm its success in Africa over the years while focusing on intra-gender relations among women as reflected in Gynotexts (literary texts written by women). It is discovered that the relationship between female characters in gynotexts if left as it is does not promote the feminist ideology but is inimical to it. This is because the lack of healthy sisterhood, though not inherent, but is constituting a distraction to the actualization of the goals of the feminist movement in Africa.