by Victoria Openif’Oluwa Akoleowo
Abstract
In this article, I explore the possibility of providing a phenomenological foundation for African feminist ethics. This approach derives from two factors. First, the inadequacies of existing ethical frameworks in addressing the specific challenges African women are confronted with, including but not limited to the
challenges of colonialism and poverty. The second is contemplation on the nature and/or features of African feminist ethics as one premised on the notion of gender as a space, defined in terms of its universal gender categories characterised by affective performativity and power relations; or as a place, characterised by unique sociocultural production of roles within a specific locality. Given that phenomenology deals with subjective experiences, I argue that a phenomenological approach, rooted in the lived experiences of African women, offers a unique and valuable perspective on ethical issues relevant to their lives. In this approach, the voices, perspectives, and experiences of African women are central to understanding and addressing ethical issues, thus, ensuring the promotion of their agency, empowerment, and well-being through the recognition of their lived experiences and the development of appropriate and effective ethical frameworks that respond to the unique challenges such lived experiences generate.
Keywords: African women’s experiences, ethical frameworks, gendered space,
phenomenology, sociocultural ethics.
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01_FA-2025_Vol6.3_Feature-1_Akoleowo