‘African Feminisms II’

To subscribe and gain access to these journals, click here. If you're already an on online subscriber, please login on the left.

EDITORIAL:
African Feminisms II - reflections on politics made personal:
Guest editor, SISONKE MSIMANG, introduces the issue.

‘That Beijing thing!’ challenging transitional feminisms in Kampala, Uganda:
RICHARD SSEWAKIRYANGA analyses the way in which the ‘gender and development’ discourse is positioned in Ugandan as a European feminist agenda, and the gendered forms of cultural nationalism articulated in response.

Perspectives on African Feminism - defining and classifying African- Feminist literatures:
The concrete orientation and execution of criticism in African feminist text varies widely, writes SUSAN ARNDT. She distinguishes three main currents of African-feminist literature-reformist, transformative and radical.

Gender and ‘the public sphere’ in Africa: writing women and rioting women:
SUSAN ANDRADE argues that looking at the actions of two different classes of women allows a reconception of African women’s engagement with decolonising nationalism.

New politics, old identities: Arab women in (their) English words:
Through an examination of two literary texts by Arab women, SHEREEN ABOU EL NAGA argues for an alternative discourse, to transcend binaries of West versus Arab.

Universalism versus cultural relativism: family law reform in Uganda:
JACKIE ASIIMWE-MWESIGE looks at the Ugandan women’s movements’ efforts to reform family law in Uganda.

Really listening? Women’s voices and the ethic of care in post-colonial Africa:
NARNIA BOHLER-MULLER argues the postmodern rejection of essentialism may fall into another trap - that of cultural essentialism.

Transcending incongruities: rethinking feminisms and the dynamics of identity in Africa:
MARY MODUPE KOLAWOLE writes that efforts to address gender in Africa must take account of context, and that womanisms accommodates African women’s reality.

The pitfalls of gender activism in Africa:
LEE M HABASONDA writes that campaigns for gender equality in Africa are a foreign imposition that conflict with tradition and disrupt the family.

More than one way of ‘seeing’ the world:
We are all in pursuit of knowledge to understand the world and ourselves better, writes PATRICIA SMIT. The question is, what is that knowledge that we are after?

The many voices of feminism:
COLLEEN DRYDEN, NATASHA ERLANK, YOUMNA HAFFEJEE, KATHY HARDY, SIZA NHLAPO, SHELLEY TONKIN and HUMBULANI TSHAMANO come together to talk about the meaning of African feminisms.

Experiencing African feminisms:
EVELYNE TEGOMOH narrates her perspective of African women’s lives as she moves through Cameroon, to Nigeria, to Norway and back.

Being in control or under control:
PIWE CENGIMBO writes that many young black South African women do not identify with the term feminism, they prefer to see themselves as independent women.

A long conversation: The Calling of Katie Makanya:
CATHERINE BURNS introduces an interview by THENGANI NGWENYA with Margaret McCord on her book, The Calling of Katie Makanya which calls up questions of women’s history, writing and feminism in South Africa.    

POETRY:
CHEPKORIR CHERUIYOT
Getrude Fester
UPESI MTAMBUZI  5/97