Quote by Ifi Amadiume: “Gender is not a natural given, but a social construct.”

This quote asserts that gender roles and identities are primarily shaped by society and culture, rather than being determined by biology. It challenges the idea of inherent differences between genders, suggesting that social norms and expectations play a crucial role in how we understand and perform masculinity and femininity.

This core concept from her seminal work 'Male Daughters, Female Husbands' revolutionized anthropological and feminist studies of Africa. Published during a period of intense academic debate around gender theory, Amadiume's research provided crucial evidence from pre-colonial Igbo society to challenge Western universalizing gender assumptions.

Nigerian scholar, poet, and feminist anthropologist whose 1987 book Male Daughters, Female Husbands challenged Western feminist frameworks by documenting gender flexibility in Igbo society. She teaches at Dartmouth College and her work has been foundational in African feminist theory and the study of gender in pre-colonial African societies.