Paper short abstract:

Niketche is a novel that showcases the struggle towards independence by Mozambican women at the cultural and socioeconomic levels. This was also a war for gender equality.

Paper long abstract:

Women in Mozambique have proven to be fighters and hardworking. Traditionally seen as less important then men, due to some extent to religious beliefs, having been “created after men”, women have been repressed and mistreated by society due as well to cultural conventions. They often suffer in silence, in fear of raising their voices, give opinions or show their worth. Due to this, women keep looking for their space in society, trying to conquer stronger and more respected positions. The female marginalization demonstrates that women’s discrimination and repression, by traditional practices, work as social control instruments. For this reason, many of them keep silent, in fear of being repressed by the African cultural traditions. Nowadays, it is possible to observe that some of them are starting to walk forward, even if stumbling, their voices being heard all over Africa, as they are going after gender affirmation, freedom and independence. Based on this perspective, we will describe how Mozambican women, in the plot of the novel Niketche, lend their voices to the fight towards female independence, in this secular war.