by Gertrude Dzifa Torvikey
Introduction – Nawi Challenging Neoliberal Development in Africa
The African continent is a hotbed of macroeconomic policy experiments and changes.These shifts are not occurring by default but are linked to the continent’s experiences with colonialism, coloniality, and imperialism. The legacies have shaped its interaction with the West and other countries in the Global South. These encounters are occurring at the same time as the consolidation of global restructuring of economies to fit into the market narratives. If Africa has become the recipient of macroeconomic advisories and loan-based conditionalities, and a site for the implementation of neoliberal policies, it is because the past structures are yet to be disrupted and reconstructed.
In reflecting on the power dynamics that undergird Africa’s position in the world, its policy choices, and the way in which its natural resources are extracted, pan-African feminist organisations are offering alternative framing and possibilities for enhancing sustainable, people-centred, and progressive development. In recent years, the negative consequences of market-oriented economic development have become more intense and widespread. As a result, the Nawi Afrifem Collective was formed to focus on feminist political economy analysis in Africa’s development and how it affects the continent’s position in the world. The feminist economist Stephanie Seguino coined the term “macro-level economic decisions” to encompass macro-level policies beyond the traditionally narrower definition of macroeconomics. Nawi’s concept of “macro-level” policy refers to economic development efforts broad enough to have important aggregate or economy-wide distributional and welfare implications. Its concerns centre on taxation, transfers including social protection, public spending, and infrastructure provisions including those for childcare.
Social media activism has become a pivotal global tool in recent decades for pushing and extending the feminist agenda, particularly among young feminists. With the widespread availability of smartphones and easy access to social media platforms, users now have access to a plethora of information on subjects ranging from news and gossip to fashion and social issues. Such platforms have also become a hub for socialisation and timely updates on social issues. These technological advancements have provided feminists with opportunities for activism previously unavailable to them. With the presence of these spaces, feminists have a wider audience, a community for mobilisation and a reach to push an agenda in a shorter period than before. While young feminists largely dominate the use of these tools and spaces, the affordances that come with them transcend these demographics. Digital spaces offer a lot of room for activists, young and old, and (non) feminists to share, learn, offer support, and build community. It is well documented that activists in several countries on the continent have used these digital spaces to mobilise and build movements for interrogating systems and structures and strongly promote change on and off social media.
Read the full article below or download HERE
08.FA2023_Vol4.2_Profile_Torvikey