Rethinking Feminist Discourse in Africa : Gender Marginalization or Complementarity?

This book brings together leading African philosophers to revisit one of the most enduring questions in feminist discourse in Africa: were women in traditional African societies marginalized, or were gender roles historically organized through complementary, mutually sustaining responsibilities?

This book brings together leading African philosophers to revisit one of the most enduring questions in feminist discourse in Africa: were women in traditional African societies marginalized, or were gender roles historically organized through complementary, mutually sustaining responsibilities? Drawing on historical analysis, decolonial theory, and close philosophical argumentation, the contributors trace how colonial and missionary interventions reshaped gender relations and introduced new hierarchies that continue to reverberate today. The volume re-examines widely held assumptions about patriarchy, interrogates contested interpretations of African cultural practices, and highlights the diversity of women’s experiences across different regions and eras. Rather than rehearsing polarized narratives, the book offers a thoughtful reinterpretation of African gender relations—one that foregrounds contextual nuance, cultural continuity, and the complex interplay between indigenous worldviews and external impositions.