Efforts to promote gender equality in the Igbo society have been met with significant challenges, particularly in early education, where children develop foundational notions of identity. Despite evolving gender dynamics in contemporary Igbo society, early grade language textbooks continue to reproduce conventional gender hierarchies through pictorial content. Using the principles of Critical Discourse Analysis, this study examines gender role depictions in Mbido Igbo 1, 2, and 3, the official Igbo language textbooks for Primary 1–3 pupils in Enugu State, Nigeria, and their implications for learners’ understanding of gender roles. Adopting a qualitative research design grounded in content analysis, the pictorial content was analysed, as children tend to engage more with images than text. Findings reveal distinctly gendered role allocations across domains such as occupations, household chores, and sports, reflecting entrenched traditional gender assignments despite increasing social fluidity. The textbooks prioritise male visibility in roles such as occupations and sports, while relegating females to household chores, revealing asymmetrical access to authority and public space. These representations naturalise gender hierarchy and limit opportunities for children to explore diverse gender identities. The study emphasises the significance of inclusive educational materials that challenge traditional gender norms and foster early exposure to diverse gender roles.
Ezebube et al. (Thu,) studied this question.