African Feminism

Week 5, Lecture 1
Presented by Ms Limakatso Seeko
 Focus…
• Sophie Oluwele. (2000). Africa. In Alison Jaggar & Iris Marion Young (Eds.), A Companion to
Feminist Philosophy. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 96-107. [Course reader: 147-158]
Is there such a thing called African Philosophy
and African Feminist Philosophy?
• Is African Philosophy distinct to African Feminist Philosophy?
• Impositions versus Reality?
• What are the “myths” and what is “true” about African philosophy and
African feminist philosophy?
• Is Philosophy particular to color, ethnic groups and specific contexts?
• What should characterize African philosophy and Africa Feminist
Philosophy?
 Western View of African Philosophy
• Africans do not have philosophy, they cannot philosophize
• Primitive
• Irrational
• Worldview is characterized by myths and magical realities
• All of these views by the travelers, colonialists and missionaries were not necessarily
accurate and precise
• As a consequence, Some black Africans defended this view
• African Philosophy is contested
 Temple's defense of African Philosophy
• Referred to as the Father of ethno-philosophy
• Africans have their philosophy
• They are rational
• They can philosophise
• Therefore, there is no need to “civilize” them
 Feminist Philosophy
• “…involvement in direct critical examination and analysis of different
worldviews and philosophical stands on the nature of reality of man and
woman as these serve as justifications for the type of relationship that
exists between the two sexes.”
• Inequalities apparent between men and women
 Waves of Feminism
First wave – late 19th Century- early twentieth century
• Emerged in Seneca Falls Convetion in 1948
• Emerged out of industrial, liberal, socialist politics
• Main emphasis was on suffrage
• Successful to some extent- More women were granted their equal right to
suffrage
First Wave of Feminism
 Cont…
Second Wave- From 1960s-1990s
• Main issues were on sexuality and reproductive rights
• Equal rights for all regardless of sex
• Struggle against patriarchy and Capitalist world
• Success- Women gained access to education and had rights on their bodies
Second Wave of Feminism
 Cont…
Third Wave- Started Mid-90s

• Transversal politics
• Moved beyond the culture of heteronormativity
• Puts emphasis on equal and individual rights- no need for ‘feminism’
• Crenshaw’s intersectionality - gender, race and class
Third Wave of Feminism
 Cont…
• Fourth Wave-emerged in 2012
• Fight against Sexual Harassment
• A technological era where sexism may be challenged on the internet
 African Feminism
• Is argued to be absent from a philosophical point of view
• Promoting emancipation of African women
 African Feminist Philosophy
• Lacking and almost non-existent because of lack African texts to define
African women and their relations with African men
• Western-scholars have depicted African women as timid, passive and family
oriented
• Some African scholars defended this view-but on the homogenized premise-this
view ignored heterogeneity of African Women
• The ideal individual/human from Western thought is a man
• Science also regards women as a vulnerable sex
 African Feminist Philosophy
• African women need to be emancipated and empowered like other women
in some parts of the world
 What should be done for the liberation of
African women?
• A call for African feminist Philosophers to make a progressive contribution
towards the liberation of African women
• Roles and some activities performed by African women are not adequate to be
referred to as African feminist philosophy
• African philosophy needs to challenge the nature of reality between men and
women and examine the roots of different kinds of sexism in Africa
• African feminist philosophy must account for equality between man and women
• Need for study of African oral text to understand African thought.