The words feminist and womanist might not exist across the multiple languages and dialects on the African continent. However, feminist and womanist theorising within Africa and the African diaspora has and continues to constantly develop due to various factors, such as politics, religion, culture, conceptualisations of gender, language, and media technology. This chapter discusses the historical constructions of African feminism(s) and womanism throughout the continent, evidencing African women as agentive and active community participants despite colonial patriarchal instruction. Integral to developing African feminism(s) is a foundational knowledge of history and geographic (dis)placement. African feminism(s) and womanism(s), in all varied definitions and practices, are pluralistic concepts which focus on a myriad of socio-cultural and political transformations for liberation and social justice.
Top1. Introduction
Across the multiple languages and dialects of the African continent, the words feminist and womanist might not exist. For this reason and many others, some argue that feminism is un-African and founded by Western imperialist thought (Dosekun, 2021). However, feminist theorising within Africa and the African diaspora historically has and contemporarily continues to constantly develop due to various factors, such as religion, politics, transformations of culture, conceptualisations of gender, language and, within recent times, media technology.
As such, this chapter demonstrates that feminism is inherently an African concept regardless of the differentiation in naming and practice. For example, Ogundipe-Leslie’s Stiwanism (Dosekun, 2021; Gouws, 2022), Chikwenye Ogunyemi, Walker and Hudson-Weems conceptualisations of Womanism (Ogunyemi, 1985; Gouws, 2022; Gqola, 2001; Kuumba, 2002) or other writings on African feminism and gender activism (Bauer, 20l1; Boateng, 2016; Dosekun, 2021; Nnaemeka, 1998).
In all varied namings (African feminism, womanism, Black feminism, post-colonial feminism, Stiwanism), definitions and practices, these Black/African-centred -isms are socio-cultural transformative projects needed to create cross-cultural, transnational solutions for the empowerment and upliftment of all African people. The point is that various iterations and practices of feminism have existed and are evident in the mobilisation, organisation, knowledge production and community care work of women across Africa (Andrade, 2007; Dosekun, 2021; Ogunyemi, 1985; Salo & Mama, 2001). Thus, this chapter discusses the historical constructions of African feminism(s) and womanism throughout the continent, evidencing African women as agentive and active community participants despite violent colonial disruption and patriarchal instruction.
This chapter does not argue that violence against women did not occur before colonialism, nor is it the author’s position that colonialism is solely responsible for the violent disruption of African societies. Some argue that violent patriarchy existed throughout antiquity, while others argue that African societies were based on complementarity (Dosekun, 2021). Nevertheless, this chapter focuses on the specifications of violence due to colonial patriarchy and the consequences of cooperation and assimilation, which continue to impact women, constructions of gender and sexuality in contemporary times and inversely have resulted in varying formulations of feminist theorisations. African feminists and womanists alike have been tasked with creating strategies to combat capitalism, racism, classism, xenophobia and sexism, which, as Lorde states in The Master’s Tools, “is an old and primary tool of all oppressors to keep the oppressed occupied with the master’s concerns” (Lorde, 2009, p. 23).
Thus, the significance of this chapter is to i) situate African feminism(s) in various historical, cultural and geographic contexts and ii) explore discussions on African feminism(s) and womanism as praxis. This chapter demonstrates how women across the continent have fought against oppression, uplifted communities, and actively participated in their societies’ political and cultural development. Thus, African women are agentive and have demonstrated that they do not need Western interventions for liberation (Oyěwùmí, 1997).