DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AGAINST WOMEN IN CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE'S PURPLE HIBISCUS AND SHONEYIN'S THE SECRET LIVES OF BABA SEGI'S WIVES

This study explores the discriminatory practices against women as portrayed in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus and Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. Through a feminist literary lens, the project examines how both authors depict the socio-cultural, religious, and patriarchal systems that perpetuate the subjugation of women within Nigerian society. Adichie presents a narrative in which domestic oppression is veiled by religious piety and authoritarian fatherhood, while Shoneyin sheds light on the psychological and emotional burdens borne by women in polygamous households. The analysis interrogates the intersection of gender, power, and silence, revealing how both novels portray female characters who grapple with systemic marginalisation but gradually assert their agency. Ultimately, the study underscores literature’s role in challenging gender-based injustices and fostering a deeper understanding of women’s life experiences in patriarchal contexts.