ABSTRACT
Gender subordination in Africa over the last seventy years can be traced to European colonial policies and African men’s views of constructions of the family. Since this structure of male dominance has never been seriously questioned, it has created a societal structure with prejudices towards women, characterizing the African society as a patriarchy conscious one.
In response to this patriarchal cultural hegemony some women have over the years demanded equality, bringing about a new order of feminism. African feminism is a type of feminism innovated by African women that specifically addresses the conditions and needs of continental African women such as patriarchy, gender subjugation and exploitation. African feminism emphasizes Africa and the particular position and situation of the women of the continent, despite their particular ethnic groupings to create a standard agenda (Toure, Cellou Barry, Diallo 2003:2).
This is also a realistic portrayal of women of non-western societies to act against the image of passive and voiceless victims in comparison to the illustration of Western females as modern-- educated and empowered. In the words of Catherine Acholonu, "Feminism, has as its ultimate goal the triumphal emancipation of the woman as a unique, distinct individual with a mind uncluttered by patriarchal beliefs and abusive submission to tradition."
The African feminist philosophy approaches particularly the subject of the demand for the progress of spaces for women to contribute to the running of their societies (Maerten 2004: 5) by empowering women through admission to assets such as health, education, housing opportunities. The African society is filled with stereotypes in favour of patriarchy despite the globalization and the recognition of the female gender. This thesis attempt to advance epistomological arguments for African feminism. The work concludes that male and female both have the same cognitive capacity to transform the society. Any society that relegates the female gender also undermine the possibility of unlocking the potential transformative force of the female gender. Rapid development in Africa will only be possible when the African woman is give her proper recognition as one who is equal to the male gender.
