Literature as Portrayal of Girl-child Emancipation in Buchi Emecheta's "Second class Citizen": A Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Equality as a Resource for TVET

Abstract

This research paper's primary focus is on Buchi Emecheta's Secondclass Citizen, which explores the literary representation of the girl-child's independence. This study employs a critical discourse analysis to look at how gender equality is portrayed in the novel and how it may be used as a resource for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes.The study begins with providing some background material in order to contextualise Emecheta's work and the feminist discourse surrounding it. After that, it delves further into the analysis of the protagonist, Adah, and her journey towards emancipation. Additionally, the study looks at how Emecheta's writing subverts gender conventions and stereotypes and how this might be used as a resource for TVET . Young girls will be inspired to follow in the footsteps of the novel, which offers a compelling example of how women may defy society norms and follow their ambitions.This study has shown that literature, especially the works of Emecheta, might be a useful tool for advancing gender equality in TVET. We can build a more welcoming and equal society for girls by exposing young students to a variety of strong and uplifting literary representations. According to the study's conclusions, women decided to remove the obstacles standing in the way of their liberation. The findings outline the methods women employed to overcome phallocentrism and become free to pursue equal rights with men under the themes of "girl child/woman as breadwinner," "feminist quest of the girl child and woman for education," and "girl-child overcoming boy-child and men dominance." This critical discourse study concludes by emphasising the role that literature plays in advancing gender parity and the empowerment of girls. In order to promote a more varied and progressive educational system, it also highlights how important it is to incorporate literary texts that are representative of all groups into TVET curricula.