How Feminism Has Not Failed In Africa

Indeed, feminism is a word we hear every day. Whether in serious discourse or simple banter, the term is constantly in use. Its constant use however does not, in any way make it difficult to tell what it actually means. The truth is, feminism means different things to various people, and the use or employment of the term feminism by different people, in different circumstances, to pass along different messages, does not take away its true essence.

Although feminism has different meanings to different people, the fundamental belief shared by all feminists (though they may disagree about other issues) can be and has been used to develop a definition for it. The variety of meanings of feminism do not render the entire ideology flawed. Every healthy ideology has varying schools of thought under it. Though those schools may interpret issues differently, they still share common beliefs which form the bedrock of their varying opinions. Whether Catholic or Protestant, every Christian believes Jesus is the son of God. Whether Maliki School or Shafi School, every Muslim believes that Mohammed is God’s prophet.

So, whether radical or liberal, all feminists agree on this fundamental position: Patriarchy works to keep women down and maintain male dominance, and should be done away with. Based on this, I offer my own definition of feminism.

Feminism is an ideology which fights against the oppression of women in political, socio-cultural and economic spaces, with an end goal of changing the present system of the world by promoting equality of the sexes.

Origin of Feminism

The origin of feminism goes as far back as the 19th century. The term “feminism” originated from the French word “feminisme” and it was formed by a Utopian socialist Charles Fourier. Its first use in English was in the 1890s. Presently, there are debates as to whether the activities of earlier men and women who challenged the traditional roles of women in the society should be termed as “feminism.” The term (not generally accepted yet) used to refer to this at the moment is Protofeminism. Therefore, people like Plato, Gaius Musonius Rufus, Ibn Asakir, Ibn Rushd, Christine de Pizan, La Malinche, and Abigail Adams among others may be referred to as protofeminists.

Contemporary feminist history is usually divided into three waves. The first wave, from the nineteenth century through the early twentieth century dealt mainly with equal contract and property rights for women and the suffrage movement (rights of women to vote). This was the era of Mrs Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Lady Kofoworola Aina Ademola and Susan B. Anthony.

The second wave spanned through the 1960s to the 1980s and dealt mainly with issues of equality and discrimination in social, legal and cultural spheres. This was the era of Omolara Ogundipe-Leslie and Betty Friedan.

The third wave of feminism which began in the 1990s and continues today arose as a response to the failures of the second wave. It is the era of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Sylvia Tamale and every other person who presently identifies as a feminist.

Purpose and Effects of Feminism in Africa Today

The purpose of feminism is to eliminate the patriarchal system and achieve a true state of equality between the sexes. To then say that feminism has failed in Africa is to commit a fallacy. Women can vote in every country in Africa. There is no country in Africa that expressly, in its federal laws prohibits women from going to school.

Women in Africa hold positions and own businesses. As of 2013, based on a UNICEF report, 24 African countries had outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation and we have not stopped advocating for the total end of this practice. Feminists continue to advocate for the rights of women in Africa especially at the local level. Clearly, although not all the intended aims of African feminists have been achieved, the feminism discussion is still ongoing.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines failure as “state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective.” So I ask: how can you conclude that a thing has failed when it has not completely run its course? Do you fail a student during the examination or after the examination?

The 2019 African Feminism Movement

It was stated in a blog post that feminism in 2019 is shown on Twitter as “…a hate movement on men, or a getaway card to some responsibilities.” The writer goes further to state that “calling yourself…an angry feminist does not make you a feminist.” With regards to the assertion that feminism is a hate movement on men, I want to point out that radical feminists believe that the society is a patriarchy, and the class of men are the oppressors of the class of women.

I do not know if it is normal to not hate those you consider as your oppressors. So yes, they may hate men, but they are still feminists. To the second assertion that feminism is played as a getaway card to some responsibilities, I want to ask, who gives these responsibilities? The patriarchal society we stand against? I believe that nobody was born to fulfil any “roles” or “responsibilities.” As John Locke posits, at birth, the human mind is a blank slate.

Our upbringing, experiences and interactions with our environment determine who we will be. No woman is born with an inherent ability to cook or wash; she learns these things. The refusal of feminists to conform to standards or carry out duties forced on women by a patriarchal society does not make them irresponsible, they are simply walking their talk. To the third assertion, I want to point out that feminism is a form of activism. Activists do not joke or laugh about the subject of their activism. Only when you show me a group of people passionately fighting for what they believe in with pretty smiles and cheerful faces will I agree that indeed, angry feminists are not feminists.

To conclude this write-up, I will leave you with the words of Lois Tyson from the feminist criticism chapter of her book Critical Theory Today: “Individually and collectively, we will move forward in some areas even as we remain static or backslide in others, but we must continue to move forward—to understand and resist patriarchal ideology—wherever and whenever we can.”

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