Women Politics in Africa

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will analyze the formal and informal roles that women play in politics in sub-Saharan Africa. Women have always had a role in influencing political life and we will consider the historical context of African women’s political participation, activism and leadership. In the contemporary period, women in Africa are increasingly assuming formal political leadership as elected officials in national and local governments, as government ministers and political party leaders and as directors of civil society organizations, lobby groups and other politically-focused organizations and institutions. At the same time, women citizens in Africa face distinct political and social challenges. These include marriage, divorce and inheritance laws, land reform, as well as domestic and sexual violence, and access and opportunity in education and employment. Women and girls also face distinct threats in the context of war and conflict, including sexual violence and displacement. The course will consider specific political agendas of women, and the ways in which women and men mobilize to address these issues through both formal and informal political means. This is done through a focus on specific countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Somalia.