African feminism, as currently structured, is polarized along many versions depending on the segments of women assumed, how the aims are achieved, and the target of their actions. This has given rise to African feminism seen as either counterculture, radical, or positive drive, depending on which version is viewed. This has given rise to describing African feminism as a moral confusion that does not have proper direction and articulation. After reviewing existing literature, the book chapter, however, advocates seeing feminism as a gender-neutral movement aimed at correcting the environment that marginalizes and does not empower people of all genders. This means that marginalization was not created by a system but by people, irrespective of gender, whose behaviors are responsible for creating the toxic environment. Hence, people will either be feminists pursuing equality or anti-feminists driving inequality. The ethical nature of all the versions of African feminism was established.
Top1. Introduction
Diversity, including its component, gender diversity, has many advantages, such as creativity and wealth creation. Whatever the basis of diversity, its advantages can only arise when it is managed. Otherwise, what comes from diversity is confusion and conflict. Diversity is the mix, and for the mix to give positive outcomes, the environment must encourage inclusion. Inclusion is, therefore, a way to get the mix arising from diversity to work correctly. The United Nations developed the concept of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in 1948 to encourage nations to manage whatever diversity they have to ensure the productivity and contribution of diverse entities. For example, while Nigeria and Singapore have diverse ethnic groups, Singapore, by using inclusive policies to leverage the potential of the different ethnic groups, was able to encourage harmonious living and the development of its economy, while Nigeria lives in perpetual ethnic conflict with negative consequences (Amah, 2019; Yew, 2000).
Feminism, like any other movement, must conform to the principle of DEI for it to be gauged as a worthwhile movement. Feminist groups are classified based on their understanding of the role of feminism. The first group sees feminism as having the capability to develop positive benefits for both sexes, the second group sees feminism as shifting Africa away from the pursuit of independence to celebrating sexes (Molapisi, 2020), and the third group pursues feminism as a way to liberate women from the culturally defined domination of women. The first approach to understanding ethical issues in feminism is to understand the source of the injustice perceived by feminists. Thus, when a culture deliberately encourages exclusive policy and marginalizes any person because of differences, there is an ethical issue in such a culture because, as captured in the American Foundation Document (1776), “People are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (p. 1). Violating these rights by any policy, governance structure, association, or movement, constitutes an ethical violation. For example, the African Women Development Group (2018), in their meeting, defined and affirmed their commitment to the feminist principles whose foundational tenets are captured as “commitment to dismantling patriarchy in all its manifestations in Africa. We remind ourselves of our duty to defend and respect the rights of all women, without qualification” (p. 2). The group perceived injustice in how men were preferentially handling patriarchy. Patriarchy is a system in which dominant positions are held by men to the detriment of women. From the comment, the foundational theory of feminism subscribed to by the group is a movement to dismantle patriarchy. Their type of feminism does not give the opportunity to look at the operations of patriarchy and the behaviour of the operators of the system to position the system rightly. To this group, the problem that feminists have is the existence of patriarchy, and nothing but total dismantling can solve the problem of African women. Other groups of feminism do not see patriarchy as the sole cause of any perceived unjust treatment of women and girls (see Nkealah, 2016; Okoli, 2021). These groups believe that a system is as good as the motives of those operating the system. They see patriarchy as a victim of the selfishness and insensitivity of the system's beneficiaries, who may likely be men or women.
The wrong understanding of patriarchy came from the writing of many authors. For example, Diop (1989, p. xii) asserted that in patriarchy, women had no power but “a husband or father had the right of life and death over a woman”. Diop (1989) maintained that patriarchy and matriarchy did not exist together. However, Cousins (1998) maintained that both systems existed together. With the controversy surrounding the meaning and existence of patriarchy, it is easy to appreciate why women took a different approach to deal with what is perceived as the unfair treatment of women in the system.