ABSTRACT

In the African traditional setting, women have been in the vanguards of family, community and national development. Women also play leading roles in the sustenance of peace and harmony and the promotion of the common good. In several situations of difficulty, such as embattled marriage, war, or in socialeconomic or political upheavals, the women are at their best playing very remarkable unifying roles. They most often volunteer and make sacrifices, even at the cost of their comfort, for the good of their communities. In the literary world, examples of such selfless, kind and good women abound. Flora Nwapa’s Efuru is an acclaimed good woman; Dora, in AdaOkere Agbasimalo’s The Forest Dames, represents the figure of a mentor, while the twin sisters: Olanna and Kainene, in Chimamanda Adichie‘s Half of a Yellow Sun, are prominent in their roles as volunteers. These texts formed the primary sources of data for this study. The narratives highlight the very active roles women had played at very auspicious times in the past, which roles are sustained to the present times but are not properly appreciated. These texts have received extensive critical attention in various thematic points. This paper veers in a different direction towards highlighting the continuous developmental prowess of women in national development. Using the concept of ethical goodness in the African philosophy of Social Living that promotes the right action, This paper specifically outlines the different selfless deeds, mentorship and volunteering roles of the selected women geared towards improving communal lives. The paper advocates greater recognition of women’s laudable role in sustaining family, community and national development.