Post-colonial representation of women's education in African novels

https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v5i4.2800
Published: Aug 6, 2025

Abstract:

Purpose: This study investigates the representation of women’s education in Africa within the postcolonial context. The research aims to assess the portrayal of women’s education as a tool for empowerment and social change, focusing on the socio-political implications of post-colonialism and its impact on women’s educational experiences, considering the ongoing legacies of colonialism.

Research methodology: In terms of Methodology, a comparative literary analysis was employed, to analyze thematic and narrative elements of women's education. A purposive sampling method was used to select five significant African novels. Data was further scrutinized through secondary literature that relates to themes of post-colonialism and women's education in African contexts. This analysis will deploy close reading and qualitative literary analysis and most of the data obtained were analyzed thematically.

Results: The findings reveal that themes such as the tension between modern education and traditional expectations were recurrent in the five novels.

Conclusions: , this study affirms that African post-colonial novels do not only serve as literary expressions but are critical sites for investigating gender roles, education and colonial legacies reinforcing the idea that education as portrayed in the selected novels is a key avenue for women empowerment and societal transformation

Limitations: The research was limited by focusing on few authors, which may not fully capture the experiences of other authors in another culture or locality.

Contribution: This article illustrates how education empowers women, to challenge oppressive systems and redefine their identities and offers insights into the impact of women’s education, focusing on its portrayal in post-colonial novels.

Keywords:
1. Empowerment
2. Feminism
3. Gender Inequality
4. Post-Colonialism
5. Women’s Education
Authors:
1 . Grace Niwabiine
Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0168-5092
2 . Johnson Ocan
Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2577-6780
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How to Cite
Niwabiine, G., & Ocan, J. (2025). Post-colonial representation of women’s education in African novels. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 5(4), 311–321. https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v5i4.2800
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Issue & Section
Vol. 5 No. 4 (2025): August
Articles
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References

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    Abdi, A. A. (2005). African philosophies of education: Counter-colonial criticisms Issues in African education: Sociological perspectives (pp. 25-41): Springer.

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    Ahmed, S., Creanga, A. A., Gillespie, D. G., & Tsui, A. O. (2010). Economic status, education and empowerment: implications for maternal health service utilization in developing countries. PloS one, 5(6), e11190. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011190

    Aidoo, A. A. (1993). Changes: A love story: Feminist Press at CUNY.

    Bâ, M. (1980). So Long a Letter: Heinemann Educational Books.

    Baron, J. V. (2023). Level of cultural sensitivity and its influence on teachers’ performance. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 3(4), 271-283. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v3i4.1392

    Boyce-Davies, C. (2002). Black women, writing and identity: Migrations of the subject: routledge.

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    Mohanty, C. T. (1984). Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses Humanism and the University I: The Discourse of Humanism: Duke University Press.

    Muslim, S. (2023). Impact of personal, psychological, and social factors on English language learning: A non-native student case study. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 4(1), 63-78. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v4i1.1612

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    Quisumbing, A. R., Sproule, K., Martinez, E. M., & Malapit, H. (2021). Do tradeoffs among dimensions of women’s empowerment and nutrition outcomes exist? Evidence from six countries in Africa and Asia. Food Policy, 100, 102001. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.102001

    Rodgers, R. J. (2013). Representations of women, identity and education in the novels of Tsitsi Dangarembga and Kopano Matlwa. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University.

    Sindhu, T., & Frederick, S. (2022). Representation Of The Sorrow Of Motherhood In Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys Of Motherhood. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(3).

    Spivak, G. C. (2023). Can the subaltern speak? Imperialism (pp. 171-219): Routledge.

    Strobel, M. (1991). European women and the second British empire (Vol. 631): Indiana University Press.

    Thiong'o, N. w. (1986). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African: James Currey Ltd.

    Tiffin, H. (1995). Post-colonial literatures and counter-discourse.

  1. Abakah, P. A. O. (2003). The changing roles of women in the African novel: a comparative analysis of Ekwensi, Dangaremgba and Armah.
  2. Abdi, A. A. (2005). African philosophies of education: Counter-colonial criticisms Issues in African education: Sociological perspectives (pp. 25-41): Springer.
  3. Adichie, C. N. (2012). Purple hibiscus: a novel: Algonquin Books.
  4. Adu-Gyamfi, S., & Osei-Egyir, H. (2023). A Decolonial History of African Female Education and Training in Colonial Asante, 1920-1960. eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the Tropics, 22(2), 218-238. doi:https://doi.org/10.25120/etropic.22.2.2023.3949
  5. Ahmed, S., Creanga, A. A., Gillespie, D. G., & Tsui, A. O. (2010). Economic status, education and empowerment: implications for maternal health service utilization in developing countries. PloS one, 5(6), e11190. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0011190
  6. Aidoo, A. A. (1993). Changes: A love story: Feminist Press at CUNY.
  7. Bâ, M. (1980). So Long a Letter: Heinemann Educational Books.
  8. Baron, J. V. (2023). Level of cultural sensitivity and its influence on teachers’ performance. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 3(4), 271-283. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v3i4.1392
  9. Boyce-Davies, C. (2002). Black women, writing and identity: Migrations of the subject: routledge.
  10. Brinkman, I. (2024). Ng?g? Wa Thiong’o, Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature, 1986. History of Humanities, 9(2), 353-359.
  11. Cunningham, K., Ruel, M., Ferguson, E., & Uauy, R. (2015). Women's empowerment and child nutritional status in S outh A sia: a synthesis of the literature. Maternal & child nutrition, 11(1), 1-19. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12125
  12. Dangarembga, T. (2004). Nervous Condition: Seal Pr.
  13. Dokotum, O. O. (2008). Sembene's “Xala”: Alternatives to the representation of Africa in colonial and neocolonial novels and films: Northern Illinois University.
  14. Emecheta, B. (1994). The joys of motherhood (Vol. 227): Heinemann.
  15. Johnson, O., Marus, E., Adyanga, A. F., & Ayiga, N. (2023). The experiences and challenges of Doctoral Education in Public Universities compared. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 3(3), 237-252. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v3i3.1454
  16. Jones, R. B. (2011). Postcolonial representations of women: Critical issues for education (Vol. 18): Springer Science & Business Media.
  17. Masha, L., & Mogoboya, M. J. (2024). A Stiwanist analysis of female figures of academia in Emecheta and Adichie’s selected novels. LITERATOR-Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, 45(1), 2018.
  18. Mohanty, C. T. (1984). Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses Humanism and the University I: The Discourse of Humanism: Duke University Press.
  19. Muslim, S. (2023). Impact of personal, psychological, and social factors on English language learning: A non-native student case study. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 4(1), 63-78. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v4i1.1612
  20. Nwokocha, S. (2019). Subversive Responses to Oppression in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 54(3), 367-383. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0021989417720817
  21. Ocan, J. (2024). Experiences and challenges implementing Uganda's revised English Literature curriculum: Problematization of colonization. Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education, 5(1), 73-86. doi:https://doi.org/10.35912/jshe.v5i1.2182
  22. Ocan, J., & Okumu, C. (2025). Utilisation of Acoli Folktales for Mindset Modification in Post-LRA Incursions: A Sociological Perspective. Southern African Journal for Folklore Studies, 19 pages-19 pages. doi:https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6697/19019
  23. Ocan, J., Okumu, C. N., & Sekiwu, D. (2022). Depictions of Human Trafficking and Exploitation in Contemporary Africa Using Akachi Adimora Ezeigbo’s Trafficked and Apio Eunice Otuku’s Zura Maids. East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 5(1), 193-209. doi:https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.5.1.688
  24. Ogundipe-Leslie, M. (1994). Re-creating ourselves: African women & critical transformations: Africa World Press.
  25. Ordu, S., & Odukwu, B. (2022). Articulation of womanism in African literature: A reading of Buchi Emecheta’s the joys of motherhood. Universal Linguistics and Literature Journal, 1(1), 1-14.
  26. Parpan, J. L. (1996). Gender, Patriarchy, and Development in Africa: The Zimbabwean Case. In V. M. Moghadam (Ed.), Patriarchy and Development: Women's Positions at the End of the Twentieth Century (pp. 0): Oxford University Press.
  27. Quisumbing, A. R., Sproule, K., Martinez, E. M., & Malapit, H. (2021). Do tradeoffs among dimensions of women’s empowerment and nutrition outcomes exist? Evidence from six countries in Africa and Asia. Food Policy, 100, 102001. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.102001
  28. Rodgers, R. J. (2013). Representations of women, identity and education in the novels of Tsitsi Dangarembga and Kopano Matlwa. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University.
  29. Sindhu, T., & Frederick, S. (2022). Representation Of The Sorrow Of Motherhood In Buchi Emecheta’s The Joys Of Motherhood. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 17(3).
  30. Spivak, G. C. (2023). Can the subaltern speak? Imperialism (pp. 171-219): Routledge.
  31. Strobel, M. (1991). European women and the second British empire (Vol. 631): Indiana University Press.
  32. Thiong'o, N. w. (1986). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African: James Currey Ltd.
  33. Tiffin, H. (1995). Post-colonial literatures and counter-discourse.