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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Pitfalls of Gender Activism in Africa
Author:Habasonda, Lee M.ISNI
Year:2002
Periodical:Agenda: Empowering Women for Gender Equity
Issue:54
Pages:99-105
Language:English
Geographic term:Africa
Subjects:gender relations
feminism
Equality and Liberation
Cultural Roles
Family Life
External link:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10130950.2002.9676184
Abstract:In recent years, gender relations have become an issue of major national and international significance in many countries across Africa. High profile gender campaigns have been launched by governments of various ideological hues. The issue of gender has assumed particular salience in Africa in recent years because of the spread of democratization. In theory, the creation of democratic political institutions offers the potential for realigning gender relations. The author argues, however, that gender campaigns have not effectively changed gender relations. He does so by contrasting the concept of gender in feminist and women's campaigns to the traditional African gender system of defined spheres for men and women; by looking at the effects of democracy, economic liberalization and gender advocacy on African society and the traditional African family; and by discussing the difficulties with legislation for women and the elitist, often hypocritical nature of many leaders of gender campaigns. He concludes that what is required is not the superimposition of a new way that men and women should relate, or using specialized international law or high sounding academic polemics, but advocacy that aims at uniting the family and not dislocating and antagonizing it. Bibliogr. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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