Josephine Ijeoma Adolalom’s scientific contributions

There has been an outcry of gender imbalance in the representation of the Nigerian woman over the years in all spheres of life. The patriarchal nature of the society has kept women relegated to the background and from actively participating in the mainstream political activities. The study examined the semiotic representation of the Nigerian woman in Mike Asukwo's "Laughter in the Mirror" with a view to ascertaining their level of representation. A qualitative research approach was employed and a case study design adopted. Data for the analysis was purposively selected from the 344 cartoons. Content analysis and semiotic designs were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed the imbalance in the discourse as a reflection of gender imbalance in the larger society. The study recommends fair representation of women in the political arena and the media to present positive image of women as these have impact on their views of self-worth.

Gender issues have received a lot of critical attention over the years. The relationship between the sexes have been perplexing, strained and elusive to a reasonable extent. This is due to the fact that society has cultural dictates of different roles for both men and women. Most cultures have instituted patriarchal structures that place men on a higher pedestal than women. In most cultures, oppression, exploitation and marginalization are the bane of the African woman. These factors have become so internalized in the lives of African women such that they believe and act out the inferior positions society have placed them. Since most writers write to portray their experiences in real life, most male writers who were pacesetters in literary writing portray negative and lopsided images of the African woman. It therefore became imperative for female writers to write to repair the negative portrayal of female characters in most male authored works. Irene Salami Agunloye has joined other female writers in most of her works to delve into the travails of the African woman and to give her a voice. In this study, Salami Agunloye in Sweet Revenge advocates for gender equality for women. She goes beyond advocacy to place her feminist character Aisosa at par with her male counterparts, politically, economically and otherwise.Irene Salami Agunloye believes in harmonious relationships between the sexes in order to achieve a better society.