NJIKO: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Humanities, Law, Education and Social Sciences

This study explores the notion that gender equality is divinely ordained by advocating for the promotion of female legacy through the equitable distribution and inheritance of family properties in Igbo community. The study employs both the primary and secondary means of data collection. It equally adopts the Intersectional Feminism Theory. All the gathered data were qualitatively delineated through hermeneutic and thematic content analysis approaches. Findings posit that in Igbo culture, the inheritance of family properties has traditionally been associated with maintaining lineage and preserving heritage. Whereas the Igbo people practice primogeniture inheritance system: The practice thus often favours male descendants, thereby perpetuating gender disparities. It fosters economic disempowerment of women along with rendering them vulnerable to exploitation. This study recommends advocating for customary legal reforms that dissuades gender imbalance; reinterpretation of religious texts to vividly portray divine gender equality; challenging of traditional norms that protracts female gender discrepancies while reinforcing traditional ideals that advances inclusivity, as approaches that will empower women, honour their contributions to family lineage as well as cultivate a more just and balanced society. Additionally, through the combination of cultural analysis, theological reflection and advocacy for progressive change, this study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender equality as a divine order and cultural preservation in Igbo society.

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