Black women everywhere seem to be in weaves these days. Afua Hirsh (2012) half-jokingly declaims that “the weave has invaded Africa on its march to world domination” while, referring to North America, Cheryl Thompson observes similarly that: “From Oprah to Janet Jackson to Tyra Banks and a slew of others, weaves have become a normative…
Author: Simidele Dosekun
Doing Beauty as African Feminists: A Conversation between Aleya Kassam, Fatma Emam, Valérie Bah and Yewande Omotoso
Four feminists from different parts of the continent converse, electronically, about their own beauty practices: Aleya Kassam (33, Kenya); Fatma Emam (33, Egypt); Valérie Bah (29, Benin and Haiti); Yewande Omotoso (35, Nigeria). Moderated by Simidele Dosekun.
The politics of fashion and beauty in Africa
From wigs and weaves to skin-bleaching to the clothes that we use to cover or reveal our bodies, fashion and beauty are complex structural considerations for women in Africa, and at the same time immensely personal. Occupying diverse socio-cultural positions, we exercise different degrees of practical choice over how we dress and adorn ourselves, limited…