by Fatou Sow
Abstract
This paper argues that African culture must be re-envisioned through a feminist lens in order to address African women’s claims to equality, bodily autonomy, and social justice, as highlighted by the Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists. It demonstrates how cultural values – frequently mobilised by post-independence states – have been used to legitimise patriarchal norms and curtail women’s rights. Colonialism transformed the nature of African societies including gender-power relations by introducing new patriarchal institutions that largely excluded women from education, political participation, and the formal economy. Although women occupy a central place in the socio-cultural life and the maintenance of families, as well as economic production, their status remains mostly confined to reproduction and motherhood – domains that are culturally sacralised and tightly regulated. Contemporary political and religious fundamentalisms continue to police women’s bodies, sexualities, and identities. Feminist scholarship and activism have exposed these power relations and have called for a decolonised, inclusive understanding of culture that recognises women as full subjects and agents of transformation. Reimagining culture thus becomes essential to securing women’s autonomy, dignity, and meaningful participation in shaping Africa’s future.
Keywords: culture, identity, patriarchy, women’s rights, colonial legacy, feminism
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02_FA2026_Vol7.1_Feature-2_Sow