REDEFINING GENDER ROLES: AN ODYSSEY OF TESTS AND TRIUMPHS FOR AFRICAN WOMEN IN IRENE SALAMI-AGUNLOYE’S SWEET REVENGE AND IDIA, THE WARRIOR QUEEN OF BENIN

Abstract

This study explored the renegotiation of gendering of roles, as well as the portrayal of the struggles and successes of African women in Irene Salami-Agunloye that are reflected in her plays, Sweet Revenge and Idia, the Warrior Queen of Benin. Although the feminist African discourse has increased, both prose and poetry, little emphasis has been put on the female playwrights whose plays criticise the patriarchal system and rewrite history. This research paper addressed this gap by talking about the dramaturgical elements, characterisation, and themes of Salami-Agunloye, which depict women as leaders and change agents in the male-dominated societies. The research design was based on a textual analysis, and it was illustrated on the concepts of Feminist Theory and Social Role Theory to explore how societal expectations on women were reinforced and violated in the selected plays. Studies have shown that Salami-Agunloye was conscious of the active use of practices of symbolism, historical reconstruction and dialogue in pre-empting the resistance, agency and political power of women. The plays succeeded in rejecting the old stereotypes of the two sexes and offered a counter-discourse to the marginalisation of women in literature and history. The Salami-Agunloye drama was discovered to be a critical tool of gender activism and social transformation that played a crucial role in African feminist discourse and contributed to the progressive redefining of female roles within the contemporary African society.