THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF PRONATALISM IN AKAN NATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR WOMEN SUBJECTIVITY AND SELF-PERCEPTION

Abstract

Pronatalism, an ideology that prioritises childbearing and views fertility as central to womanhood, plays a pivotal role in shaping gender norms within the Akan nation. This study examined the social construction of pronatalism and its implications for women’s subjectivity and self-perception, using Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa as a focal text. The study deployed contextual constructionism and frame analysis to examine how cultural mechanisms and structures normalise pronatalist values. These cultural mechanisms position childbirth as essential to Akan femininity, constraining women’s autonomy and perpetuating societal pressures to conform to rigid gender roles. The findings reveal that pronatalist ideology is framed through the cultural timelines imposed on women and the idealisation of the quintessential woman. This ideology, deeply entrenched in cultural norms, functions to uphold the systems of family continuity, inheritance, social welfare and social cohesion. However, it simultaneously marginalises women who diverge from these normative expectations, thereby perpetuating psychological distress, stigmatisation and social exclusion as mechanisms of enforcing conformity. Fictional constructions, such as Anowa (p), signify the dual function of cultural narratives: they reinforce societal norms while also offering a critique of the limitations imposed on women’s identities. Based on the findings, the study offers key recommendations: integrate fictional works into educational curricula to deconstruct cultural norms; develop alternative narratives that emphasise women’s achievements beyond reproduction; initiate campaigns and workshops to recognise diverse expressions of femininity; and conduct cross-cultural studies in Africa to broaden understanding of pronatalism.