Submission Title
Gender Disparities in Witchcraft Beliefs: A Challenge to Nigerian and African Historiography
Abstract
The understanding of how gender roles are assigned to abstract issues like witchcraft beliefs, remains a challenge to contemporary African historians. Witchcraft as a significant area of humanistic study, has not sufficiently engaged historians and literary critics. Scholars in Religious and Cultural Studies in Nigeria have made efforts to interpret witchcraft as an aspect of the tradition of various Nigerian groups. In this paper, witchcraft is examined as a phenomenon and a historical assumption based on gender disparity. Combining primary sources from the National Archives of Nigeria and secondary sources in books and journals, this research dissects witchcraft stigmatizations in the light of historical truism. African historiography and literary scholars could benefit from researches on witchcraft by placing it properly in historical chronology and perspectives but most importantly by situating witchcraft phenomenon properly as a frontline and burning topic in understanding the gender politics of the African past and present.
Recommended Citation
Okonkwo, Uche U.; Eze, V.O; Ukaogo, Victor; Okoye-Ugwu, Stella; and Orabueze, F.O
(2021)
"Gender Disparities in Witchcraft Beliefs: A Challenge to Nigerian and African Historiography,"
Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 22:
Iss.
1, Article 26.
Available at:
https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol22/iss1/26