A Brief History of African Feminism
by Minna Salami

Feminism is an absolute necessity for African societies.

We rank lowest in the global gender equality index, have some of the highest numbers of domestic violence, the highest number of female circumcision and other harmful traditions. Yet I keep landing on articles like 'Nigeria: Bolanle Awe and the Feminist Discourse' by Tunji Olaopa and ‘You Can’t Sit With Us’: Black Women And Feminism by Iman Hassan, which both start promisingly, then go on to make claims such as “…the first objective for the Nigerian woman is the imperative of family building as the first step in nation building” and “African women do not feel the same urgency or need to be liberated from their traditional gender roles” respectively. Really?

Or this fella, Ayo – Bankole Akintujoye, in his article 'Rejoinder to Sugabelly: Feminism, Gender Equality And The Hypocrisy Of It All' who earnestly asks:

“What is wrong with a woman being successful, and still bowing to her man?”

Dude…

I’ve argued oftentimes that feminism is not un-African, that it has always existed in Africa, that so many of the African women we love to love are/were feminists. But what exactly is the history of African feminism, you might be wondering.

While the term ‘feminism’ is an import to Africa (as all English words are), the concept of opposing patriarchy, the raison d’être of feminism if you like, is not foreign. Africa has some of the oldest civilizations in the world so while they didn’t always call it feminism (the noun) as far back as we can trace we know that there were women who were feminist (the adjective) and who found ways of opposing patriarchy. Feminism is an important part of African women’s "herstory".

Mamphela Ramphele, founder Agang

As an interest group, African feminism set off in the early twentieth century with women like Adelaide Casely-Hayford, the Sierra Leonian women’s rights activist referred to as the “African Victorian Feminist” who contributed widely to both pan-African and feminist goals, Charlotte Maxeke who in 1918 founded the Bantu Women’s League in South Africa and Huda Sharaawi who in 1923 established the Egyptian Feminist Union. African feminism as a movement stems also from the liberation struggles especially those in Algeria, Mozambique, Guinea, Angola and Kenya where women fighters fought alongside their male counterparts for state autonomy and women’s rights. African feminist icons from this period are women like the Mau-Mau rebel, Wambui Otieno, the freedom-fighters Lilian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, Margaret Ekpo and Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti among many others who fought against colonialism as well as patriarchy (often through protest).

Modern African feminism was solidified during the landmark UN decade for women 1975 – 1985 which resulted in feminist activism and scholarship spreading widely across the continent and diaspora. Since then the African feminist movement has expanded in policy, legislation, scholarship and also in the cultural realm. It has to do with grassroots activism as well as intellectual activism, ‘bread and butter’ issues such as poverty reduction, violence prevention and reproductive rights as well as with lifestyle, popular culture, media, art and culture. It’s about confronting patriarchal mythmaking on one hand, and with the other we are equally challenged with tackling racist stereotypes. It has to do with these seven key issues in African feminist thought.

Today, African feminists scholars, activists, artists and politicians such as Leymah Gbowee, Joyce Banda, Simphiwe Dana and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as well as feminist organisations such as the African Feminist Forum and the African Gender Institute are at the forefront of using activism, knowledge and creativity to change situations that affect women negatively.

No one but African women ourselves can bear the responsibility to protect the histories of African women and to connect them to the situations of today. We have many glass ceilings to shatter. To begin to do so, we must realise that the current situation disadvantages women tremendously. Women are being systemically marginalised within both our local and global societies.

As our eyes increasingly open to this truth, we must continue to liberate and defend ourselves from limited notions of womanhood. It cannot be stressed enough how pressing that is. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; we can and should take inspiration from those who are already reshaping the narrative of African womanhood and the truth is that feminism continues to be the tool of choice for many of us.

Source: msafropolitan.com

References: Ndate Yalla Mbodj (1810–1860) and P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sénégalaises (1853). The New York Public Library.

No, it's not


At one point, Dahomey female warriors used to fight as ferociously as men.

I think with Westernisation, came all this "men are the heads" nonsense.

It's actually not unafrican.
African feminism was focused on 'women's rights'. Women looked out for their rights in traditionally african settings. It is the introduction of foreign religions that killed these female political structures and they lost their vibrancy. As much as most of Africa was a patriarchy, women's voices were not silent. These female groups provided checks and balances under the patriarchical system. Foreign religions encouraged the silence of women under the cloak of submission, headship. During the Aba women war in the 1920's the colonialists assumed it were men that perpetrated the ruckus but were stunned to find out it was women...women fighting for their rights that the colonialists had usurped. Nollywood does not help matters either on how African societies were set up. Strong female political groups are hardly represented in the so called epic movies. I wait for the day our stories would be told with more facts than fiction.

Dnt knw wat to say

All is gud,,,BLACKS ARE BEAUTIFUL

yes it is not African!

The way things are going, men will soon cry for gender equality.

I wouldn't say Feminism is un-African because we never believed in it ( right from during our forefathers) and in as much as I support it, I think we are taking it to the extreme.

Come again please, you say......?

Here we go again!!

women always cry for gender equality,but when you start treating them like male they start complaining

women sometimes confuse me more than calculus

of course not. Is 'human rights' also un-African?

Interesting

nickz: women always cry for gender equality,but when you start treating them like male they start complaining

women sometimes confuse me more than calculus

Pls take it easy with them sir. Women are confused creature by nature, that explains their endless deman of give me this, give that, buy me this, buy me that. They are looking for some sense of satisfaction which they cannot find within themselves. Pity those poor emotional being. If u gat a gal that truly loves u, observe he well u will understand it better

Opiosko: Pls take it easy with them sir. Women are confused creature by nature, that explains their endless deman of give me this, give that, buy me this, buy me that. They are looking for some sense of satisfaction which they cannot find within themselves. Pity those poor emotional being. If u gat a gal that truly loves u, observe he well u will understand it better

bwhahahaha you are 100% on point....more confusing than differentiating a donkey from a mule!

.

Feminism isn't an African stuff. But Africans have started adopting it.

Feminism is bad and should be discouraged. Men and women are not equal.

We are the heads. And there is nothing anyone can do about it.
#the painful truth#
Oya E-warriors over to you

nickz: bwhahahaha you are 100% on point....more confusing than differentiating a donkey from a mule!

Bros your signature...it is wao

Up until the 60's when feminism was invented in America the African-American community was stable and full of happy families even in the midst of heavy racism, but once feminism came into play this all ended and now all they do is kill each other over streets they don't own.

Moral of the story? FEMINISM IS BAD AND VERY UN-AFRICAN.

All those women wanting gender equality only want it were it benefit them like jobs,position etc but if it about manual labours lyk cutting grass,lifting heavy materials,paying the bills,defendind the home even at the expense of life dem be like Men are the head.

So much pro-feminist thread on NL these days. Smh! Why can't america and their LGBT leave africa alone? So funny how we'll say we have real pastors when none of them is preaching against this movement that is aimed at destroying God's institution. Why don't anti-feminist threads make front page?

The worst part is that they dont know what feminism is all about

zboyd.. yesterday you said you were not a feminist that you dont do follow follow...

Why this post now

zboyd:

If you had been following my posts, I stated more than once that I am not a follow-follow type of woman.

I have no need to follow the ideology of some white women unhappy with their lot with white men (Feminism)...because that's where the concept started...with middle-class white women who wanted a life outside of being a housewife and mother and their husbands wouldn't allow them to.

Therefore, I am not a feminist.

I follow ZBoydology - I think for myself.

Nice post, totally on point.

ITS TOTALLY UN-AFRICAN!!!

MOST AFRICAN WOMEN COPY, THEY DONT INITIATE.

AFRICAN MEN LISTEN, AND ARE DIRECTED BY WOMEN.

WHAT ELSE DO THEY WANT? D*CK?

AM A REAL AFRICAN MAN, NOT AND NEVER AMERICAN!!!!!

Una no dy taya for dis topic?

A woman cannot be feminist and also be a lady. They are two sides of a coin, feminist shout " I am independent, I can handle my own" but a lady says "I am classy, handle me with care and respect". Watch the so called feminist, they want both and opposing sides of the world. What a Confusion.

You cannot bundle all African ethnic groups together. We do not ALL share the same culture and virtues. For instance, from the narrative of Moremi, the egalitarian nature of Yoruba society is pretty obvious. I cannot speak for others.

Very much unlike us

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