[Linguists’ Forum] Metaphor Scenarios of Feminine Inclusion in the Nigerian Socio-cultural Context, By Lateef Kugbayi, PhD

Patriarchy, a system that elevates masculine virtues while debasing feminine ideology and emancipation, is a pervasive phenomenon across cultures. The patriarchal ideal positions the father, a man, as the central figure, relegating women to a more peripheral role. Patriarchy does not merely oppress women; it promotes a system where certain beliefs and actions benefit men over their female counterparts. This ideology is entrenched through various perceptual patterns, expectations, practices and policies that perpetuate gender inequality. Despite the enduring nature of patriarchy, the contemporary world has witnessed philosophies and movements that challenge this old order. Feminist agitations have significantly supplanted the ideology favouring masculinity, advocating for equal representation, women’s emancipation and empowerment. To a great extent, language has played a significant role in promoting women’s emancipation and empowerment.

The Nigerian socio-cultural landscape, for example, is rich in linguistic expressions that reflect and promote the ideology of women’s inclusion and empowerment. However, these expressions are usually metaphorically based, making them less visible tools for contesting unequal gender power relations. These tools, vis-à-vis their potency in challenging beliefs that subjugate women, need to be unravelled. Some of the metaphorical scenarios that illustrate feminine inclusiveness within the Nigerian socio-cultural context, with each serving to challenge traditional gender hierarchies and promote women’s empowerment, are listed below.

1. Confidence in Natural Body Shape is Security: This was sourced from a media chat on the TVC’s “Your View,” addressing the dangers women face from societal pressures to conform to specific beauty standards. By equating confidence with security, the metaphor encourages women to embrace their natural bodies, as that will help them to gain for themselves a sense of self-acceptance. The ideology foregrounded in the metaphor consequently challenges the narrow beauty ideals that often lead to physical and psychological harm among women.
2. Mother in Israel: The metaphor originated from Pentecostal Christian discourse. It highlights the leadership roles women, like biblical figures such as Deborah, can assume in spiritual and community contexts. The metaphor redefines women’s positions from domestic confines to significant leadership roles. It promotes the idea that women embody strength and wisdom that are essential for communal harmony.
3. Mother is Most Deserving of Allah’s Good Companionship: It was derived from a Hadith of Islam, Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 73, Hadith 2, which elevates the status of mothers in familial and spiritual realms. The metaphor challenges the ideologies that often subordinate women and emphasises feminine vital contributions to spiritual well-being as equal to masculine contributions. The metaphor therefore underscores a cultural narrative where women’s roles are honoured and sustained.
4. Mata Iyayen Gida/Women are the Heads of the Household: The metaphor is of the Hausa context. It asserts women’s roles in leadership within the family structure. It also challenges traditional gender roles in northern Nigeria by promoting the idea that women can be heads of households. Promoting gender equality, the recognition empowers women and encourages their involvement in decision-making processes.
5. Nne bụ isi iyi nke ndụ/Mother is the Fountain of Life: In the Igbo socio-cultural perspective portrayed through this metaphor, mothers are celebrated and considered essential to family and community sustainability. The metaphor emphasises feminine resilience and nurturing qualities, and challenges every limitation to women’s roles in the Nigerian socio-cultural context.
6. Òrìṣà bí ìyá kò sí/There is No Deity Like a Mother: This is rooted in Yoruba cosmology. The metaphor compares mothers to deities. It also elevates their status and contributions to both family and social life. It challenges perceptions that diminish women’s social roles and promotes feminine inclusion in discussions of power and authority. By recognising the sacredness of motherhood, this metaphor empowers women and affirms their importance in cultural and spiritual life.

These metaphors are tools for promoting women’s empowerment and inclusion, offering alternative narratives that counter patriarchal ideologies. They position women as contributors to both familial and societal well-being. The metaphors also foster a cultural shift towards recognising women’s agency and capabilities, encouraging broader acceptance of diverse representations of femininity. While affirming that language is not merely a reflection of reality but an active participant in the construction of social identities and power relations, this article posits that the understanding of metaphorical language and its exploitation is a potential tool that, if used properly, can empower women to maximally benefit from gender equality and inclusive realities in the Nigerian socio-cultural landscape.

Lateef Iyanda Kugbayi, PhD

Senior Lecturer

Department of English Language

Zamfara State University

Talata Mafara

07032985052; lateefkugbayi19@gmail.com