Women and Political Leadership in Nigeria: A Discourse Analysis of Yoruba Proverbs

Abstract

This paper contains a discourse analysis of Yoruba Proverbs that have relevance to women and political leadership in Nigeria. Its theoretical underpinning is the relevant aspects of the Systemic Functional Theory (SFT). Proverbs being metaphorical, the application of discourse analysis that concerns what human beings say to mean what they mean, may provide some understanding of the Yoruba worldview of the place of women in leadership positions. The analysis demonstrates the place of women in the Yoruba society with regard to what they do and participate in with their male counterparts and, indeed their irresistible strength to positions – political, social, religions etc.