he theorisation of exploitative and dangerous systems such as patriarchy or colonialism has long been energised by the complex and evolving connections among gender, violence, and power. Research and activism that acknowledge such connections point to ways in which these systems often create normalised conditions of vulnerability, especially for people gendered within the “feminine.” Such theorisation has arisen most influentially in political work within civil societies that prioritises narratives of “abuse against women” as a starting point for redress, resistance, and revolution. The overwhelming focus on such abuses in African contexts has remained, however, on domestic violence and sexual assault. In the past decade, the focus has also increasingly include
Category: Standpoints
Putting Gender Where It Belongs: Reimagining Social Organisation and Categories from Mozambique
he theorisation of exploitative and dangerous systems such as patriarchy or colonialism has long been energised by the complex and evolving connections among gender, violence, and power. Research and activism that acknowledge such connections point to ways in which these systems often create normalised conditions of vulnerability, especially for people gendered within the “feminine.” Such theorisation has arisen most influentially in political work within civil societies that prioritises narratives of “abuse against women” as a starting point for redress, resistance, and revolution. The overwhelming focus on such abuses in African contexts has remained, however, on domestic violence and sexual assault. In the past decade, the focus has also increasingly include
Violence Against Women with Disabilities in Zimbabwe
In patriarchal societies, where inequalities between men and women prevail, women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to gendered violence. While gendered violence affects all women, research indicates that women with disabilities face a heightened risk (United Nations General Assembly 4/67/227, 4). Globally, UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) reports that 60% to 80% of women with disabilities have experienced sexual violence, with 50% subjected to multiple assaults (2015, 149).
Researching Christian-related Violence Against Women/Intimate Partner Violence (VAW/IPV) in Ghana: Insider/Outsider Positionalities
The hierarchical relationship between women and men, the stereotyped socialisation of boys and girls, and varying levels of discrimination are not merely societal but also religious constructs. I would argue that this emphasis on a hierarchical family structure, together with biblical texts on female submission, contributes to providing a theological basis for women’s subordination and gender inequality. This, in addition to the cultural practice of payment of the bridewealth (tiri nsa among the Akan), weakens women’s ability to leave toxic marriages or relationships.
Feminisms in the Digital Age Feminism and the Digital Era: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa
by Nkem Agunwa Abstract “African Feminisms” is the collective label given to the various approaches to demanding equality for African women in the face of the unique oppressions and restrictions they endure because they are African and women. This essay argues that African feminisms exist in the plural because women on the continent experience a…
Centering Emission Rights Expropriation and the Role of Unpaid Women’s Labour: Rethinking Climate Justice from an African Feminist Perspective
By Natacha Bruna The implementation of market-based top-down climate mitigation policies is resulting in the expropriation of emission rights of non-polluters while fuelling accumulation by powerful actors. Redirecting political energy from African feminism to alternative non-extractivist climate solutions requires the recognition of the role of women’s unpaid reproductive labour in enabling the production and extraction…
Cleopatra, Egyptology, and Afrocentrism: A Bitter Tripartite
By Radwa Saad This essay explores the tensions surrounding Afrocentrism in Egypt, exemplified by recent controversies over depictions of Cleopatra in cinematic productions. It examines the clash between Egyptian nationalist narratives and Afrocentric interpretations of ancient Egypt’s Black heritage and advocates for a more nuanced understanding of race when navigating complex historical legacies. Read the…
All That Glitters is not Gold: Formal Work Deficits on the African Continent
by Bashiratu Kamal Ghana, my country of birth, has a population of about 30 million out of which 51% are women. The majority of these women in the workforce (85%) can be found in the informal economy. This situation is not unique to Ghana. According to an International Labour Organization (ILO) survey conducted in 2015,…
Improving Rural Women’s Access to Productive Resources: Are the Low Hanging Fruits Too Low to Make a Difference?
by Faustina Obeng Adomaa The percentage contribution of rural deprivation to national poverty is high. In Ghana, it is above 70%, and rises to about 90% in the northern parts of the country (FAO and ECOWAS, 2018). Poverty is a rural phenomenon and women in rural areas are the face of poverty, especially less resource-endowed…
A Tale of Two Worlds amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: Is a New More Just Economic Order Possible?
by Leah Eryenyu “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age ofwisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it wasthe epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season ofDarkness, it was the spring of hope, it…