A SOCIOLINGUISTIC INQUIRY INTO WOMEN - MADE BREACHES ON THE EMANCIPATION ROAD: THE IGBO EXAMPLE

Abstract

Women have over the years bemoaned the secondary position ascribed to them in the society. They see patriarchy as their major challenge to self-actualization, hence, the feminists fight for women emancipation. On the other hand, men see women as their own problem, claiming that women are their own greatest enemies. The concern of this study is to investigate rivalry among women, the reason(s) behind it, and the kind of words / expressions they use in manifesting it, the situations they use such words, the cause of such usage, its effects and the way forward for women towards attaining their goals. The qualitative approach is adopted in this study. Consequently, interviews were used to elicit data from fifty female respondents. Findings reveal envy, jealousy and patriarchy as the major reasons behind friction among women. There are exceptions to rules, as some well nurtured women tend not to be caught in the web of jealousy. The work advocates female solidarity, for without it, women will not make much progress in their moves for self-actualization.