Systemic Oppression in Access to Women’s Education in Patriarchal Cultures in Abi Dare’s the Girl with the Louding Voice

Abstract

Patriarchal culture poses a challenge for women seeking access to education due to deeply ingrained values that assign distinct roles and statuses to each gender. This study examines the discrimination women face in accessing education within a patriarchal context, as manifested in systemic oppression, focusing on the novel The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. The research aims to reveal how the literary work represents discrimination regarding women's access to education through these forms of oppression. Employing a descriptive-qualitative method with close reading techniques, the study utilizes the sociology of literature, specifically the concept of mimesis, and intersectional feminist literary criticism as articulated by Kimberlé Crenshaw as analytical frameworks. The findings indicate that women encounter discrimination in accessing education through layered oppression linked to their social identities; this involves the intersection of gender with poverty, youth, geographic isolation, race, and sexuality, thereby relegating education to a subordinate position for women. These layers of oppression reinforce one another and perpetuate gender discrimination, particularly regarding educational access. The representation of oppression in Daré’s work demonstrates its systemic nature, as it is rooted in deeply entrenched societal values; consequently, discrimination in education tends to be viewed as the norm or even as an inherent part of the culture itself. This study contributes to literary studies by applying intersectional, gender, and social justice.