The Feminist Struggle for Emancipation in the Context of East Africa: A Reading of 'Parched Earth' Geoffrey Maroa Nyamosi College

A feminist struggle is a form of strife that focuses on liberating women from the oppressive patriarchal social orientation that operates to undermine the woman in the society. It is aimed at empowering women to overcome barriers that have led to the subjugation and discrimination towards women in East Africa. In the novel, Parched Earth, Lema uses the lives of three ordinary women: Foibe Seko, her daughter Doreen Seko and Great Aunt Mai to amplify the struggle of women for emancipation from the patriarchal societal arrangements in the Tanzanian society. The trio is strongly compelled by a sense of survival and existence as they creatively and intelligently interpret Aunt Mai’s Socratic philosophy that a woman is a social orphan.

In order to overcome the metaphorical Spider’s web that’s oppressive towards women in the society, they have to continuously evolve strategies of avoiding being trapped. This they do through outright rebellion against patriarchal societal expectations, redefining women’s life, their sexuality and relationship to their male counterpart. Their lives are indeed embodiments of what can be referred to as a well formed, fierce feminist struggle through a succession of contestations of the spider’s web.

Foibe...