The Evolution of Feminism in Nigerian Media: A Look At IGBO Culture Films

Abstract

This thesis addresses the subject of feminism in the Nigerian media, particularly on how issues related to women’s rights and gender discrimination have been addressed in Igbo culture Nigerian films. For several decades, the Nigerian home video industry, dominated by Igbo culture-themed films, has been one of the most influential media forms across Nigeria and Africa in general. These films are a staple in many homes; the images, narratives, and ideas that they disseminate go a long way in shaping or reinforcing public perceptions about the role of women and their status in society. Taking a critical look at how feminism has evolved in Nigerian films, this thesis investigates the extent to which films merely reflect the existing reality of Igbo patriarchal societal structures or persist in propagating dated and unrealistic stereotypes by specifically focusing on two relevant Igbo culture films –Things Fall Apart (1987) produced by Peter Igho, directed by David Orere and Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) produced by Andrea Calderwood and directed by Biyi Bandele. Both films were adapted from novels of the same titles by Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Adichie, respectively, and illuminate the depiction of women in the Nigerian media. Based on insights generated from the research evidence, this thesis establishes that Igbo culture films were previously instruments for perpetuating gender inequality by reinforcing and disseminating socially constructed notions of female subordination and male dominance. However, in the last decade, there has emerged an increasing tendency in modern Igbo films towards activism for gender equality and social change. Films like Wives on Strike (Omoni Oboli, 2016) and Dry (Stephanie Linus, 2014) for instance, have tackled issues of child marriage and female education. The thesis concludes that the prospects for a more positive depiction of women and feminism in Igbo culture films and in the Nigerian media generally are influenced by the prevailing societal orientations towards the issue within Nigerian society. It is suggested that films, being important agents of social change and orientation, can play a critical agenda-setting role in stimulating changes in attitudes towards issues of gender equality within the Nigerian society.