WOMEN IN WAR, AND CONFLICT: A DISCOURSE ON FEMI OSOFISAN'S WOMEN OF OWU

Conflict and war are not unique to Nigeria or Africa. It is now a truism that in conflict situations, women are one of the worst hits. The reason is not farfetched: women in conflict areas are likely to be raped, kidnapped, killed, and/or end up as widows/concubines. Although women are seldom directly involved in conflict situations, they serve as the first line of aid, providing what can best be described as succor to the casualties of conflicts as well as maintaining the home front in the incessant absence of the male and youths. Predicated on critical feminist theory and the relational theory of conflict, the study from a thematic view, discussed the plight of women in conflict situations both within the text and the context; that is Nigeria. Using Femi Osofisan's Women of Owu (2006), the study argued that the manner in which Osofisan dramatizes the story of the African woman trapped in conflict and war is both sympathetic and resilient, yet a gruesome reminder of the position women find themselves in conflict situation.