Trying to define what a women’s movement is in Africa is still a work in progress. African women have contributed immensely towards the development of the continent in all spheres.  They have done this through organisations, coalitions, associations, unions, faith-based networks, local, national and regional networks, rural and urban based organisations, and through mixed/mainstream institutions. Through activities ranging from income generation,  forming co-operatives, consciousness raising, advocacy and campaigns, to research and analysis, they have contributed to what is referred to here as a Movement – a movement for social justice, equality and empowerment for the society in general, and for the rights and dignity of  women in particular.

This movement is politically and ideologically diverse, often to the point of very hot contestations. There are serious divisions which reflect Africa’s complexities -  ethnicity, language, ideology, colonial legacies, race, age, marital status, class, religion, literacy levels, geo-political and geographical differences and along various other lines. Considering the sheer size of the African continent, and the deep complexities of the issues that the continent faces region by region, it is certainly not easy  to coherently describe the African women’s movement. How reasonable is it to assume that there can be common interests and agendas forged across these major divides, not to mention being able to work out a platform broad enough to accommodate these shared interests and agendas for mutual action?

It is not easy, but it has been possible. While several  divisive issues still remain unresolved,  there is an African Women’s Movement. There is a movement in so far as there has been a collective, if somewhat pocketed, response to the needs of women in the region. There is usually consensus on issues which are considered to be priorities, which affect the lives of African women such as poverty, illiteracy, health and reproductive rights, political participation and peace. However there are clear ideological  differences, which influence opinions and strategies within the movement. We can therefore talk more comfortably about different positions and strands within the movement.

A large number of individuals and organisations which constitute the African women’s movement are mainly concerned with reforming the status quo, and pushing for reforms which will ameliorate the conditions under which the majority of African women live, for this strand of the movement welfarist agendas are the main entry point. They accept that these systems are skewed against women, and are committed to change, but they often  fall short of coming up with effective strategies which will challenge these systems conclusively and bring about lasting transformatory change.

There is also another tendency within the movement, those who believe women can achieve their goals by being an integral part of  State programs, ostensibly set up for the benefit of women, but which regrettably, become vehicles to mobilise  women  to sustain the interests of the State. This has led to the emergence of what has been described by some observers as `State Feminism’.

Within the women’s movement, are also leaders, thinkers and activists who challenge the legitimacy and the fundamental basis of patriarchal institutions, norms and values. This group of women believe that any movement to free African women from oppression has to be feminist, anti-imperialist and anti-racist, with the tools to transform African communities and the lives of women within those communities.  It is the agency of these women within the broader African women’s movement that is the focus of our attention here.

This is the African Feminist Movement, which is by no means homogeneous, but which defines feminism as a global struggle against all forms of patriarchal oppression. This feminist movement promotes the learning and teaching of feminist principles, the universality of women’s human rights, the centrality of women’s personhood, the necessity of providing a voice for women, the validation of women’s knowledge, the primacy of women’s bodily integrity, norms for working across diversities, and the value of working in solidarity with strategically chosen allies. 

 

 

 

AWID Resource Net Friday File

Friday December 8, 2006

AWID - The Association for Women's Rights in Development

http://www.awid.org

The African Feminist Forum

An interview with Bene Madunagu, General Coordinator of Development
Alternatives for Women in a New Era (DAWN) and Shamillah Wilson - AWID's
Young Women and Leadership Theme Manager, about the first ever African
Feminist Forum held recently in Ghana.

By Rochelle Jones - AWID

From 19-21 November 2006, the first ever African Feminist Forum was held
in Accra Ghana, hosted by the African Women's Development Fund.  More than
130 women from all over the continent (Francophone and Anglophone)
participated in the event.

What is the background to this meeting?

Shamillah Wilson (SM): This project has been five years in the making,
discussed at African women's meetings, international meetings, in
corridors, over dinner, drinks. In 2003, a planning meeting was held in
Zanzibar to take the ideas forward, but due to a variety of reasons the
project had to be put on hold.  In October 2005 after the AWID Forum in
Bangkok, a number of women who had been involved in the previous
discussions met and agreed that the previously planned African Feminist
Congress should take place in 2006, and will be called the African Feminist
Forum.

Why is this event important for the feminist movement in Africa?

Bene Madunagu (BM): This event was important for three reasons.  It was the
first time ever that African feminists came together with that name in their
own space to formally create and own a feminist network on the African
continent. It was a union of existing individuals or fragmented groups
believing in the same values and vision, coming together in support of each
other to publicly claim what has always had strong roots both in theory and
in practice on the African continent. The second most important reason was
the adoption of the Charter of Principles for feminist organising in
Africa, articulated by African feminists themselves and based on
experiences in the African continent.

The third reason, I am convinced, was crucial to the rich, mutually
respectful and very supportive event. Upfront, we in the organising
committee when sending out invitations, not only sent out the draft of the
feminist charter but made invitees understand that each person intending to
be a part, must  be comfortable in publicly self-defining herself as a
feminist, that is, "no feminist buts", with a willingness to sign-on to the
charter.

SW: What is important about this moment is that there is a recognition of
the complexities of being organized as a movement. Notwithstanding
political and ideological contestations, language, ethnicity, class,
religion, literacy, sexuality, age and other diversities, there is a need
for space to reflect, learn, share, challenge one another and build
strategies for collective action and agenda setting from an African
perspective. 

The moment is important because in the past the diversities that make us
who we are have either been divisive or remain unresolved.  So this meeting
provided that space where people could honestly reflect on where we have
come from. This is of course not without its dilemmas.  We are all at
different moments in our organizing, our analysis - but as a younger
feminist coming into this space, it felt like there was an opening and that
this is an opportunity to move forward as a collective much more than we
have before.  The forum was a space with much more respect and acceptance
of our own histories, our own struggles and I think with more emphasis on
renewal, and re-energising for moving forward.

What were some of the key challenges identified at the forum that feminist
movements are grappling with?

BM: Some of the key challenges identified included:
* hypocritical and sexist references to "African culture and tradition" by
policy makers as a basis for discrimination of women;
* the tokenism of one woman out of 20 men in positions of decision making -
and not just a woman, but one that represents patriarchal values;
* patriarchal and sexist values in interpersonal relationships which
continue to de-value and violate women's rights, with particular reference
to sexual and reproductive health and rights;
* state policies where notions of motherhood are used to undermine and
diminish women's contribution;
* total misunderstanding and misrepresentation in theory and practice by
policy makers, of the concept of gender mainstreaming which originated from
feminists as a way of addressing the continued gap between opportunities for
men and women;
* the issue of linkages between educational opportunities, socio-economic
status, and environmental challenges under the political economy of
globalisation and as a follow-up to Structural Adjustment Policies, in the
lived experiences of women;
* the issue of transformation rather than just reforms that do nothing to
the very system that perpetuates the structures and policies that feminists
struggle to overcome; and
* the feminisation of HIV/AIDS, poverty and all negative indices of human
development.

SW: As we were leaving Ghana, there was an article published on the front
page of the Ghanaian newspaper "The Heritage" about the meeting, entitled
'Lesbians meet in Accra'. This is an indication of how much backlash still
exists around feminist organizing in the region. Whilst we were celebrating
the strides made by the movement inside the meeting and strategizing on how
to do it better and what to do, outside the forces that work against us
were very active in swaying public opinion against feminist organizing. 

Following on from that - one of the biggest issues identified was the fact
that we need to determine how to mobilize women at all levels of society -
not just those of us who speak the language of feminism.  How do we make
our messages and our agendas accessible so that we can achieve the change
we really want to see?

Another challenge is the fact that we need to look at our strategies - how
we rethink and build innovative strategies to address issues of HIV and
AIDS, fundamentalisms in all its forms (economic, religious, cultural etc),
poverty, and all other issues that impact on women's human rights.  I think
one of the positive things that emerged was that we could debate about the
good and the bad of our strategies.  Connected to that is the fact that our
strategies have been hijacked and we are co-opted onto other agendas that
are not explicitly feminist and do not at all tackle power relations.  We
had a very important discussion around gender mainstreaming, for example,
and I think a lesson learned here is how to ensure that strategies or tools
we develop do not become something else because we are not vigilant in
ensuring that our visions are non-negotiable. 

We reflected on many issues such as culture, fundamentalisms, trade,
poverty, feminist relationships to states and other global structures. I
think that we probably needed to have more discussions as a big group (in
plenaries) around HIV and AIDS and sexuality.  Regardless, I believe we
have started the conversation, and we need to build on what we have
learnt.

What were some of the key issues identified for strengthening the
movement?

BM: Strengthening the movement requires multigenerational and not just
intergenerational experience, as well as a strong track record of active
engagement with feminist issues. A regional/geographical/language spread is
important, in addition to diversity in terms of areas of expertise to ensure
the incorporation of the richness of all elements. A crucial resource to
empower and strengthen women from an informed position is open debates on
all issues and the documentation of African women's voices talking about
feminism in Africa. Discussions that reflected the concerns and priorities
of African women and the concrete examples of true-life experiences that
enriched those discussions further strengthened the outcome for future
focus.

SW: One of the first things that we identified is to record our stories
more.  On the first day we participated in an exercise of mapping the
timelines of different decades.  What this highlighted was the fact that
there are several stories (the good and the bad) that we need to know about
in terms of moving forward.  In getting where we are today, there has been
several important networks and groups that have played a critical role in
pushing for women's rights in Africa, but some of those stories are not
recorded and are carried around by only a few.  It is important that if we
are to grow and strengthen as a movement that we record these stories, but
also that we start recording the stories of feminists who may have passed
and even those who are alive so that it is something to pass onto younger
generations.

Another important point identified at the forum is the significance of
sharing stories on what it means to be feminists in practice in our
organisations and movements.  This doesn't mean we have to stop challenging
each other or dealing with issues and situations that are uncomfortable and
messy. It simply means that our accountability is to each other and
ultimately to the well-being of the movement.

Delegates also identified the need to look at the sustainability of
ourselves, and to analyse how we energise and take care of one another to
do this work.  In terms of the movement, there is a need to examine how we
share stories of building the resources to strengthen and sustain our
movement.  As Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi stated: 'we need to also start funding
our own movement'.  I think this is critical in how we imagine sustaining
and building on the milestones we have already achieved.

Multi-generational lessons from this meeting

BM: There were specific strategies incorporated into the agenda that helped
to strengthen the interactions among different ages in a way that was
enriching and respectful. The forum had a strong emphasis on creating
opportunities for the engagement of young feminists, and indeed, there were
a comparable number of women present across the ages. There were also open
discussions on mentoring and nurturing across generations - just as the
young need mentoring and support, the older also need support and
meaningful expression on retirement. It was not just one age bracket or the
other but a holistic approach that looked across the life cycle on
developing the support each group requires.

SW: What I found most inspiring about the meeting was the attempt to make
it multi-generational.  Younger feminists were part of the planning group,
they were on most of the panels and there was even a multi-generational
lunch where there was very personal sharing and engagement across
generations. 

Of course, as in any space, more can always be achieved.  The fact that as
African feminists we were conscious of creating multi-generational spaces,
however, is a good starting point.  Obviously, this experience has taught
us a lot about moving forward and being more creative in the construction
of an inclusive space for even younger feminists to participate
meaningfully.  It has also been a catalyst in expanding the conversation of
being multi-generational.  This means starting conversations with those who
have been at the forefront of feminist struggles for longer, as well as
being more mindful of including younger feminists.  This is the way we can
begin to strategise on succession, transition and alternative roles in the
movement.

What are the next steps to sustain and build on the work from this
meeting?

BM: Beyond the other agreements is the fact that, for example, we Nigerians
at the forum met to discuss and form a working committee right there to
constitute the Nigerian Feminist Forum. We have virtual meetings everyday.
I am aware that other countries have started similar communications. The
feedback from participants at the forum shows that people have been waiting
for this to happen, hence there is no turning back.  

SW: The next step is to share information from this meeting with a wider
audience and to start documenting herstories of the African feminist
movement.  The next forum will be held in 2008, and I think between now and
then there will be critical and honest reflection on how to build on this
experience, how to address some of the gaps and challenges of inclusion and
participation and obviously how to start the work of strengthening the
movement that we talked about.  All this – so it does not become just about
the talk, but results in action as well.

For more information about the African Feminist Forum, including details of
the program organisers and content, please visit the website:
http://www.africafeministforum.org/v1/