BOOK AS A COMMUNICATION MEDIUM: USING BARCLAYS AYAKOROMA’S DANCE ON THE GRAVE TO DISCUSS SALIENT GENDER ISSUES

Book is an effective communication tool that can be used to achieve different purposes, including gender equality; it is a complimentary medium to the mainstream media. Gender ine-quity is prevalent in the society, and this exposes women to a lot of discrimination that widens the dichotomy between them and their male counterparts, and invariably prevents the women-folk from participating and playing vital and supportive roles in developing the society. The agitation for gender equality and advocacy for women liberation is being carried out through various fronts, including books written in form of Drama, which is a very formidable force and a transformer of society; drama being a useful tool in national discourse and social commentary. Consequently, this study looked at Barclays Ayakoroma`s play (book), Dance on the grave, a drama that focuses on women`s agitation for a voice and equality with men in the society.This research work is anchored on the Muted Group Theory (MGT); and in order to pick and analyse the burning gender issues raised in the play, review and textual analyses were used as the qualitative research methods. In conclusion, this paper submitted that women are endowed with a lot of potentials that can contribute to the development of the society if they are not discriminated against, but that women must develop themselves in all aspects of life. It recommended, among others, that women should be protected from all forms of gender-based violence, and that more books that highlight the ills against women in the society should be written