Akata Witch is a coming of age story, focusing on a twelve year old girl named Sunny. Okorafor's novel really focuses on issues surrounding identity and female empowerment. Sunny's identity is very complex and she struggles with this identity in a number of ways as the story progresses.
On the surface, Sunny is Nigerian but looks like a European because of her fair skin and blonde hair - a result of her albinism. She is born in America, yet both of her parents are Nigerian, and now she lives amongst other Nigerians who all look completely different from her. Adding more to the complexity, Sunny is a female which automatically makes her inferior to the men in her society - but her disability also makes other women feel superior to Sunny as well. Finally, Sunny's sense of self becomes even more confusing when her magic powers and status as a free agent comes out into the open. All of these complexities is a lot for a twelve year old girl to take in and to learn how to cope with. Although the world of the Leopard people completely turns Sunny's life upside down, it is actually what pushes her to become comfortable with her femininity, nationality, and disability.
Albinism resulted in years and years of bullying and torment over Sunny's physical features that lowered her self-confidence. Also, it literally prevented her from being able to enjoy life normally due to having to use an umbrella everywhere to avoid the sun. Once she is initiated into the world of the Leopard people, Albinism becomes her strongest asset; Her powers of invisibility and her connection to nature exist because of her abnormality and the sun no longer burns her skin. Overcoming her animosity for her albinism is a big step towards maturity and confidence.
Females in the Leopard people's society have important roles and jobs in society that make women more equal to men. One of the best examples of female empowerment in Leopard society is Sugar Cream - a female scholar who is among the few people to have passed the fourth level in the Leopard test. The Leopard society does not stop women from pursuing the same feats as men and allows them to become just as successful. Sunny's opportunities as a young woman open up within this new society and ultimately lead to her becoming comfortable with her status as a woman.
Sure, Sunny does face some discrimination amongst the Leopard people - but her confidence with her self proves them wrong. Women are not supposed to be athletes as sports are seen as a "man's activity". So, when Sunny wants to join the soccer game amongst two teams of boys, it is no surprise when the boys question her ability and try to bar her from joining their game. Perhaps in the past, Sunny would have gave up as soon as the boys ridiculed her skills for her femininity. However, at this point in the novel, Sunny is confident with her self and completely blows the group of boys away by taking on their soccer challenge. This part of the novel is integral to Sunny's coming of age because her acceptance onto the boy's team confirms in her mind that she is strong and capable enough to do the same things as men.
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