In the podcast, I reference books set in African to discuss how African women are portrayed in novels? During our discussions, I ask my guests and listeners for their views on a variety of issues, including the following two questions:   

1.    Is the role of an African girl set long before she is born, or is she free to choose the life she desires?  

2.    The second question is - what role do African women play in shaping existing narratives on gender relations? 

Stay on to the end of this episode to learn the journeys and roads traveled by some of girls and women. For those of you who work in the development sector – the issues I raise in this podcast can provide a lens through which to view gender and gender relations as a basis towards the achievement of development objectives. 

 In today’s episode, I take you on a global journey where I revisit some of the novels I have read, to highlight common issues that speak to the role of women in enhancing existing narratives on gender relations as portrayed in some novels. 

Please note that I will not attribute the emerging issues to any book titles – the issues I discuss here are global, what I have gathered from the many books I have read, books set in different parts of the world. In future episodes of the podcast, I will narrow down to specific book titles when I invite guests to discuss individual book titles. So, what is…

 The role of women in enhancing existing narratives in novels on gender relations. 

As mentioned above, the narrative I will discuss here relates to the two questions I asked above:

1.    The first narrative is that the role of an African girl is set long before she is born. If this is true, why? If the statement does not hold, then, to what extent can or has she been able to choose the life she desires?  

2.    The second narrative is that African women play a role in shaping existing narratives on gender relations? If the women play a role, how are their roles or activities presented in novels? 

Based on the novels I have read over the years, and they are many, I will start the discussion by exploring some of the roles and tasks considered to be the domain of African girls and women: For my own clarity, I will begin within the household and branch out into the work place, and marriage.

 As with all novels, writers make their characters whole, believable by showing them as they experience their daily lives, within larger households.   

In many novels set in Africa, whether focusing on the young girls or older characters within the home, we read of girls performing tasks within the house and compound. The tasks include: 

o   Cleaning the family house 

o   Prepare and serve meals to the family 

o   Wash clothes and clean dishes 

o   Fetch water and firewood 

o   Cultivate vegetables in the family garden 

o   Take care of babies/children 

o   Take care of sick family members 

o   Till the land 

o   Go to the market and shop for household items 

Whenever they fail to meet the set standards of, for example a clean home, clean utensils, well cooked and tasty food, and more – we read of society questioning their mothers who in turn have to teach their daughters. 

Many of us must have read novels where girls go into seclusion before marriage – to perfect their cooking skills, lest the in-laws make fun of the mothers of the said bride if she cannot prepare a certain food item, or keep a neat house at her new home.  

In many homes or societies, there are norms surrounding these...