Democracy and the Rise of Women's Movements in Sub-Saharan Africa

7. Women on the Move

c h a p t e r s e v e n 䉬•䉬 Women on the Move Women in sub-Saharan Africa are taking on new democratic structures with force. They are challenging governments; they are questioning policies; they are running for political positions; and some have been elected into power. They see the democratic opening as an opportunity for change, and they are running with it. The nascent democratic structures provide a new environment that allows women to mobilize and engage the government. Women are also now turning their attention to legislative bodies in order to increase women’s representation, and ostensibly their influence within formal political structures. In Ghana, women’s organizations, along with other civil society groups, are actively encouraging and training women to run for district assembly elections (Asumin and Dunkwa 2006). In Zambia, President Mawanawasa ’s suggestion that the next president should be a woman has led to increased discussion of the need to integrate more women into formal political positions (Dale 2003). The women’s movement there has backed a woman candidate for president and is appealing to women to go to the polls to support her (Fleming 2005). In Botswana, the government recently committed to double women’s participation in political positions (Nyirenda 2006). In Nigeria, 600 women in the South West zone have been targeted to become actively involved in formal politics . They are being taught the art of public speaking, how to interact with media outlets, and the techniques of campaigning for political oªce (Akosile 2006). Women’s associations in Angola met to determine how they may successfully encourage women’s participation in electoral politics (Angola Press Agency 2006). Women recognize that political structures and women’s representation influence any strides they hope to make in changing policy that a¤ects women. Women con- tinue to work within their given culture of politics and draw on existing gendered structures to transform preventative political structures. gendered structures Many women of sub-Saharan Africa have the advantage of a history of engagement in politics prior to colonization. Women were often embedded within a dual or hierarchical gendered system in which the women’s roles complemented the roles of the men (Moran 1989; Okonjo 1976; Ortner 1981). Many women held positions of authority or significantly contributed to community decisions . Even when men were the primary rulers, women in some ethnic groups would hold positions of council. Although women may not have had equal access to positions of power, they were nonetheless active and often contributed to community decisions. Women’s active participation was also based within community associations or organizations (Stamp 1986; Strobel 1976; Wipper 1982). Prior to colonization, these associations were usually organized along age or kinship lines. With colonization , some of the community associations were forced to change, yet they persisted . They simply changed their name and scope to appease the colonizers. In the 1970s and 1980s, when economic times were harder, women’s organizations formed around income-generating activities. Women’s associations and organizations transformed according to the times. Within the organizations women’s cohesive identity is also formed. Mary H. Moran (1989) explains how women in sub-Saharan Africa believe they are the only ones who can understand each others’ grievances because of similar lived experiences. Therefore, when they confront male rulers or male o¤enders within the community, they do so as a group. Women believe that men must understand that the decisions they make a¤ect all women. Women also believe that only women can truly understand and represent the needs of women. Therefore, women draw on their identities as women to act cohesively and to challenge male rulers or representatives who do not adequately address women’s concerns. Women’s precolonial history of political participation, combined with active participation in local organizations and associations and their collective identity as women, form the gendered structures that women in sub-Saharan Africa currently work with. These gendered structures help women to mobilize resources. As a collective, women can work as a group to challenge individuals or political systems that overlook women. Their collective identity allows for the possibility of collective action and for the development of a larger women’s movement that 114 d e m o c r a c y a n d t h e r i s e o f w o m e n ’ s m o v e m e n t s [3.142.197.212] Project MUSE (2024-04...