(West) African Feminisms and Their Challenges

Abstract

This article highlights some challenges facing a set of African feminisms built on indigenous models. These feminisms are: Motherism – Catherine Acholonu; Womanism/Woman palavering – Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi; Nego-feminism – Obioma Nnaemeka; Snail-sense feminism – Akachi Ezeigbo; Stiwanism – Molara Ogundipe-Leslie; African womanism – Mary Modupe Kolawole; and Femalism – Chioma Opara. The challenges under discussion have been grouped into two categories: (1) inclusion vs exclusion; and (2) conceptualisation and target. This article discusses these challenges by posing a series of questions intended to provoke a critical re-assessment of African feminist theorisation. The article then proceeds to analyse a selection of work from Women Writing Africa: West Africa and the Sahel (2005) to see what the creative imagination offers as possible resolutions to these challenges. Two songs in the volume are analysed as part of the endeavour to redefine and prune (West) African feminisms.

Opsomming

 Hierdie artikel vestig die aandag op enkele uitdagings wat ’n stel Afrika-feminismes wat op inheemse modelle geskoei is, in die gesig staar. Dié feminismes is: Moederisme – Catherine Acholonu; Vrouïsme/Vrouegepratery – Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi; Nego-feminisme – Obioma Nnaemeka; Slakkesin-feminisme – Akachi Ezeigbo; Stiwanisme – Molara Ogundipe-Leslie; Afrikavrouïsme – Mary Modupe Kolawole; en Vroueverheerliking (Femalism) – Chioma Opara. Die uitdagings wat bespreek word, word in twee kategorieë ingedeel: (1) insluiting vs uitsluiting; en (2) konseptualisering en teiken. Die artikel bespreek hierdie uitdagings aan die hand van ’n reeks vrae wat daarop gemik is om ’n kritiese her-assessering van Afrika-feminismeteorieë te ontlok. Daarná word ’n keur uit Women Writing Africa: West Africa and the Sahel (2005) ontleed om vas te stel watter moontlike oplossings die kreatiewe verbeelding bied om hierdie uitdagings te bowe te kom. Twee liedere in die volume word ontleed as deel van die poging om (Wes-)Afrika-feminismes te herdefinieer en te verfyn.