Quote by Buchi Emecheta: “A child is a child, not a tool for its mother's survival.”

This quote critiques societal pressures that often reduce children to economic assets, especially for women in challenging circumstances. It advocates for recognizing a child's inherent worth and innocence, rather than viewing them instrumentally for adult needs.

This novel, set in colonial Nigeria, critiques traditional societal pressures on women to bear many children, particularly sons, for status and economic security. Emecheta highlights the dehumanizing aspect of seeing children as mere assets.

Nigerian novelist whose work documented the lives of African women navigating patriarchy, migration, and colonialism. Her 1974 novel Second-Class Citizen drew on her own experience as a Nigerian immigrant in London struggling against racism, poverty, and a violent marriage. She published over twenty books during her lifetime.