The Social Construction of sub-Saharan Women’s Status through African Proverbs

Abstract

The continent of Africa, especially the sub-Saharan Africa, is known for its rich oral traditions and practices. Proverbs are the
most widely used in this genre of oral arts and practices, and thus their influence is so strong to the point that even the concept
of social construction of women is so persistently carved from it. This paper examines how proverbs serve as storylines
between the ways proverbs represent the roles, statuses, and identity of women in traditional sub-Saharan Africa. The paper
focuses on the social construction and patriarchy as conceptsand uses critical discourse asa theoretical framework explaining
the status of women. The study also employed qualitative and the interpretive methods, which underscores the importance of
the narratives on the lived experiences of the respondents.