Women and political power in Africa: Belonging and isolation

Abstract

A growing phenomenon in Africa today has seen to an increasing gender relations and growing political participation compared to what obtained in early post-independence Africa. However with these changes, a notable rooted existence of gender discrimination still persists, and made apparent by the continental political evolution, culture and perception. Thus, a growing feministic concern is bothered on the unfair perception of gender inferiority accrued to women in Africa political settings, and their consequent ostracizing alienation from public and political occupancies and offices. The genesis of this in Africa stemmed directly from the dictates of African traditional culture of feministic sub-serviency to men, male autocratic and authoritative inclination, and the general African perception that women are meant for the homes, occupying their traditional housewifeship and motherhood positions. Therefore, a critical review of the phenomenon was carried for the study. Today, African traditions and persistent male authoritativeness, coupled with women’s resignation to fate and traditions and a self-imposed inferiority, have spurned political gender discrimination in Africa to heights of social injustices and deprivation of rights, and thus hinder women’s initiative for equality of rights, participation and citizenship, and an eventual achievement of various feministic asp irations and dreams. Thus, engendering a politically impaired gender relation in Africa. In submission, for Africa to structurally adapt to a gender expressive and participatory nation-states, re-engineer its gender discriminative structures, and institute a practicable gender tolerance and justice, equality of rights and citizenship, Africans most especially men must do away with its traditional perception of women, most part of the male dominance, and encourage women to their need for political participation and contribution to nation building for the good of one and all.