Feminism with a Small “f” in Buchi Emecheta’s in The Ditch
Amina Sail

Abstract
Feminism and its application to African women’s literature has been always subject to hot debates among African women writers and critics. Some denounce its western origins and irrelevance to speak for African women who belong to different cultural, and socio-historical contexts. Others accept the feminist label but call for the necessity to redefine it in accordance with the African identity by discarding some of its aspects such as separatism and individualism that contradict with African values. In this respect, the Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta has always expressed her discomfort in relation to feminism and prefers to be called a feminist with a small “f”. Through the study of her novel In The Ditch, we have tried to explore her perception of feminism and explain how she manages to adapt it to the African context where traditions and communal ties are deeply rooted in the Nigerian society.

Full Text: PDF