Women as Accomplices in Gender Inequality in African Societies – A Feminist Analysis of Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

While patriarchy is often portrayed as a male-dominated system, African societies have long witnessed the entrenchment of gender inequality through maternal and communal socialization practices. This article explores the role of women, particularly mothers, as guardians of patriarchy, using Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s feminist manifesto Dear Ijeawele as a critical lens. Employing feminist literary theory, the paper examines how women internalize and transmit patriarchal ideologies under the guise of cultural norms and familial duty. Ultimately, it argues that dismantling patriarchy in African societies requires a dual confrontation: against external male authority and internalized female complicity.