Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?

In its four decades of rebirth, the world has debated (enough) the relevance of feminism, but there is, surprisingly, refreshingly emergent dimensions at the turn of the twenty-first century: feminisms from feminism flowing from Africa. The theories or models of Womanism, Stiwanism, Motherism, and N...

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Main Authors: Alkali, Muhammad, Talif, Rosli, Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam, Mohd Jan, Jariah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2013
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/1/Dwelling%20or%20duelling%20in%20possibilities%20how%20%28ir%29relevant%20are%20African%20feminisms.pdf
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author Alkali, Muhammad
Talif, Rosli
Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam
Mohd Jan, Jariah
author_facet Alkali, Muhammad
Talif, Rosli
Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam
Mohd Jan, Jariah
author_sort Alkali, Muhammad
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description In its four decades of rebirth, the world has debated (enough) the relevance of feminism, but there is, surprisingly, refreshingly emergent dimensions at the turn of the twenty-first century: feminisms from feminism flowing from Africa. The theories or models of Womanism, Stiwanism, Motherism, and Nego-feminism, with their underlying assumptions and values,were all born at various end times of the twentieth century with a common objective of seeking gender justice. This paper examines the crucial question of how relevant these models are to the global practice of woman as human. What propels their separateness, and why didn’t they combine to make a more solid stance on the plight of the African woman? In fact, why can’t they simply identify with the general feminism? Put differently, are they dwelling in the same terrain or are they separable and easily recognisable discourses duelling in possibilities for the woman in Africa in particular and the woman of the globe in general? More specifically, how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?In trying to answer these questions, the paper presents a critical review of the afore-mentioned theories of African feminisms with the goal of providing readers an understanding of what is new in each model, and what is similar or different between the various strands of African feminisms. The paper concludes with the author’s analysis of the model that holds the best promise or possibilities for African feminism to achieve its seemingly elusive goal of gender equality.
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spelling upm-403672016-02-07T12:50:16Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/ Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms? Alkali, Muhammad Talif, Rosli Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam Mohd Jan, Jariah In its four decades of rebirth, the world has debated (enough) the relevance of feminism, but there is, surprisingly, refreshingly emergent dimensions at the turn of the twenty-first century: feminisms from feminism flowing from Africa. The theories or models of Womanism, Stiwanism, Motherism, and Nego-feminism, with their underlying assumptions and values,were all born at various end times of the twentieth century with a common objective of seeking gender justice. This paper examines the crucial question of how relevant these models are to the global practice of woman as human. What propels their separateness, and why didn’t they combine to make a more solid stance on the plight of the African woman? In fact, why can’t they simply identify with the general feminism? Put differently, are they dwelling in the same terrain or are they separable and easily recognisable discourses duelling in possibilities for the woman in Africa in particular and the woman of the globe in general? More specifically, how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?In trying to answer these questions, the paper presents a critical review of the afore-mentioned theories of African feminisms with the goal of providing readers an understanding of what is new in each model, and what is similar or different between the various strands of African feminisms. The paper concludes with the author’s analysis of the model that holds the best promise or possibilities for African feminism to achieve its seemingly elusive goal of gender equality. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2013-09 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/1/Dwelling%20or%20duelling%20in%20possibilities%20how%20%28ir%29relevant%20are%20African%20feminisms.pdf Alkali, Muhammad and Talif, Rosli and Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam and Mohd Jan, Jariah (2013) Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms? GEMA Online® Journal of Language Studies, 13 (3). pp. 237-253. ISSN 1675-8021 http://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/article/view/4234
spellingShingle Alkali, Muhammad
Talif, Rosli
Wan Yahya, Wan Roselezam
Mohd Jan, Jariah
Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title_full Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title_fullStr Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title_full_unstemmed Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title_short Dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are African feminisms?
title_sort dwelling or duelling in possibilities: how (ir)relevant are african feminisms?
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/40367/1/Dwelling%20or%20duelling%20in%20possibilities%20how%20%28ir%29relevant%20are%20African%20feminisms.pdf