THE GIRL CHILD AS A TOOL FOR FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION USING EFUA SUTHERLAND’S THE MARRIAGE OF ANASEWA

Abstract

The girl child as a tool for financial exploitation is a prevalent and disturbing phenomenon in many African societies, where patriarchal norms and poverty force young girls to enter into marriages or relationships with older and richer men. This long essay examines how two African plays, The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland and I Will Marry When I Want by Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Ngugi wa Mirii, portray and critique this form of exploitation and its consequences for the girls, their families and their communities. The essay argues that both plays expose the underlying causes of this problem, such as poverty, ignorance, corruption, greed, religion and culture, and show how they create a system of oppression and inequality that deprives girls of their rights, dignity and agency. The essay also analyzes the effects of this problem on the physical, psychological and social well-being of the girls, as well as the moral and economic implications for their families and societies. The essay further explores the remedies that the plays suggest or imply, such as education, empowerment, resistance, solidarity and social change. The essay concludes that both plays are powerful and relevant artistic expressions that challenge the status quo and advocate for a more just and humane society where girls are valued and respected as equal human beings.