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An influential, vibrant, exciting force: defining African feminism
What does it mean to be a feminist in Africa today? Some of Africa's best commentators share their thoughts. Do the issues raised chime with your experiences? Join our debate
South African girls bring attention to violence against women for the One Billion Rising campaign. Photograph: LynethCrighton/GuardianWitness
A debate has ignited among the Guardian’s Africa network partners. In a guest blog for Ms Afropolitan Doreen Akiyo Yomoah wrote that "you are a woman" was her least favourite word combination in the English language, proceeding to outline the five most irksome assumptions made on the basis of her gender.
This provoked a response from Freda Muyambo, also known as Freedes, who said some of Yomoah’s points reflected more on her as an individual rather than a female. She argues that women are different both biologically and socially – a fact to be celebrated, not dismissed.
Muyambo says her blog was intended as a springboard for debate. This got us thinking and we decided to open up the discussion to commentators on our network and beyond. So, what does it mean to be a feminist in Africa today? What are the main challenges activists are up against? What does the future hold?
Here’s what they had to say:
Doreen Akiyo Yomoah: 'we're responsible for making things right'
"You are a woman"; quite possibly my least favourite words strung together. When people say this to me it’s usually to judge how badly I’m performing my gender. No assumptions should be made about anyone based on those three words. Nevertheless, here are some that I hear regularly.
I have to present myself a certain way. In Ghana (where I’m from originally) everything is stratified by gender, people would say I must wear earrings because I’m a woman.
I can’t do DIY. Once, when I was renting a room from a Ghanaian family, I brought a bookshelf into the house. My landlord’s sister saw me and asked incredulously if I was going to put it together myself. While I was putting it together with my weak female hands, the landlord barged in, grabbed a plank of wood from me, and said "a woman shouldn’t be doing this kind of work". When I objected, he said that he was helping me.
Women can’t change things. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, just because your culture says something, doesn’t mean that it’s right. People create culture, and we’re responsible for making things right.
More:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/29/defining-african-feminism-join-the-debate?cmp=wp-plugin
South African girls bring attention to violence against women for the One Billion Rising campaign. Photograph: LynethCrighton/GuardianWitness
A debate has ignited among the Guardian’s Africa network partners. In a guest blog for Ms Afropolitan Doreen Akiyo Yomoah wrote that "you are a woman" was her least favourite word combination in the English language, proceeding to outline the five most irksome assumptions made on the basis of her gender.
This provoked a response from Freda Muyambo, also known as Freedes, who said some of Yomoah’s points reflected more on her as an individual rather than a female. She argues that women are different both biologically and socially – a fact to be celebrated, not dismissed.
Muyambo says her blog was intended as a springboard for debate. This got us thinking and we decided to open up the discussion to commentators on our network and beyond. So, what does it mean to be a feminist in Africa today? What are the main challenges activists are up against? What does the future hold?
Here’s what they had to say:
Doreen Akiyo Yomoah: 'we're responsible for making things right'
"You are a woman"; quite possibly my least favourite words strung together. When people say this to me it’s usually to judge how badly I’m performing my gender. No assumptions should be made about anyone based on those three words. Nevertheless, here are some that I hear regularly.
I have to present myself a certain way. In Ghana (where I’m from originally) everything is stratified by gender, people would say I must wear earrings because I’m a woman.
I can’t do DIY. Once, when I was renting a room from a Ghanaian family, I brought a bookshelf into the house. My landlord’s sister saw me and asked incredulously if I was going to put it together myself. While I was putting it together with my weak female hands, the landlord barged in, grabbed a plank of wood from me, and said "a woman shouldn’t be doing this kind of work". When I objected, he said that he was helping me.
Women can’t change things. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said, just because your culture says something, doesn’t mean that it’s right. People create culture, and we’re responsible for making things right.
More:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/29/defining-african-feminism-join-the-debate?cmp=wp-plugin