Stories of Struggle and Strength: Women's Epistemic Resistance in Second Class Citizen and When I Hit You

This research article examines the portrayal of women’s conditions in Buchi Emecheta's Second Class Citizen and Meena Kandasamy's When I Hit You. Through a feminist lens, it explores themes such as patriarchal control, silencing, resilience, sexual abuse, and epistemology. The analysis highlights the struggles of the protagonists, revealing how their lived experiences reflect the universal and enduring relevance of gender-based oppression across diverse cultural contexts. Furthermore, the study emphasises the importance of recognising women’s voices and knowledge as critical tools of resistance against patriarchal power structures.