Ecofeminism and the Politics of Victimhood in Patience Ezinwoke’s No Time to Lose

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/09/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 4 (2026)

Article No.

010

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-XL9VRX72

Received

12 Aug 2026

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4

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0

Abstract

This paper examines the interconnected victimisation of women, children, and the natural environment in Ezinwoke’s No Time to Lose. Using an ecofeminist approach, the study explores how patriarchal structures, oil exploration, poverty, social inequality, and institutional neglect contribute to the exploitation of both vulnerable human beings and the environment in the Niger Delta. Through a qualitative textual analysis of selected characters, events, and environmental representations in the novel, the paper identifies significant parallels between the degradation of nature and the oppression of women. Characters such as Ibiba, Eneni, and other young females experience abandonment, sexual exploitation, economic deprivation, and exclusion from decision-making. In contrast, communities such as Kirama suffer from gas flaring, oil spillages, polluted rivers, damaged farmlands, and health challenges. The novel also presents children as indirect victims of environmental degradation, as polluted water sources, poverty, and unsafe living conditions expose them to abuse, illness, and death. The paper argues that the exploitation of women and nature originates from similar systems of domination that prioritise economic power, masculine privilege, and oil wealth over human dignity and ecological sustainability. It further demonstrates that environmental injustice cannot be separated from gender and social injustice because damage to the ecosystem intensifies the vulnerability of women and children. The study concludes that No Time to Lose offers a powerful literary critique of oil exploitation and patriarchal oppression while promoting social justice, environmental responsibility, gender inclusion, and sustainable relationships between humans and nature.

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This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.