Women and Gender Issues in Africa

Catalog description

There are two contrasting views of the status and role of women in Africa. One view portrays African women as controlled by men in all social institutions. Another view projects women as having a relatively favorable position in indigenous societies where they were active, with an identity independent of men's; in they were not clustered in a private sphere of the home while men controlled the public sphere. This course examines critical gender theories and African women in historical and contemporary periods. The topics covered include: women in non-westernized/pre-colonial societies; the impact and legacy of colonial policies; access to education and knowledge; political and economic participation in local and global contexts; women's organizations; armed conflicts and peace; same-gender love and evolving family values; the law and health challenges; the United Nations and World Conferences on Women: Mexico 1975, Copenhagen 1980, Nairobi 1985, Beijing 1995, post-Beijing meetings, the 2010 superstructure of UN Women, and Beijing +20 in 2015 with the UN Women's slogan Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!