In South Africa there are a few black women who constantly shame and bully those who wear weaves and wigs.In their arrogance, they fail to recognise that they are further hurting the black woman. This talk pleads with those who mock... more
In South Africa there are a few black women who constantly shame and bully those who wear weaves and wigs.In their arrogance, they fail to recognise that they are further hurting the black woman. This talk pleads with those who mock others to show empathy.
The purpose of this essay is to shed some light on a lesser-known aspect of the revolution: the role of African women as combatants and the influence of African martial arts/military traditions. Why did the African women in Ayiti fight?... more
The purpose of this essay is to shed some light on a lesser-known aspect of the revolution: the role of African women as combatants and the influence of African martial arts/military traditions. Why did the African women in Ayiti fight? What African spiritual rituals, practices, and traditions did they utilize in order to resist European enslavement? Furthermore, what role did African martial arts/military practices have in the ultimate liberation of the entire island? These pivotal questions form the basis for this paper. By exploring these questions, this paper will be able to expand one’s understanding of the significance of not just the Haitian revolution but African liberation and resistance overall.
"A bird with one wing does not fly." In the Church at large, the life of the Church is often far better represented by its feminine wing. But for theological articulations and development, the voice of the feminine wing is too often... more
"A bird with one wing does not fly."
In the Church at large, the life of the Church is often far better represented by its feminine wing. But for theological articulations and development, the voice of the feminine wing is too often dismissed and neglected by domineering voices from its masculine wing. As a result, the Church tends to fly in circles (or sometimes, she simply fails to fly). In African Christian Theology, we need to develop BOTH wings, male and female. Here are some examples of works trying to bring a better balance, by or about or edited by African Christian Women. This list is not, of course, exhaustive. It includes a selection of important books of which I am aware, together with some articles and chapters have been discussed in the African Christian Theology group.
Protestant missionaries have recently been praised for their comparatively benign features concerning their support of women's education in Africa. Using a novel dataset of 5,202 Protestant brides born between 1880 and 1945 from urban and... more
Protestant missionaries have recently been praised for their comparatively benign features concerning their support of women's education in Africa. Using a novel dataset of 5,202 Protestant brides born between 1880 and 1945 from urban and rural Uganda, this paper offers a first pass at analysing empirically the role of mission education on African women's socio-economic position within the household. The paper finds that although mission education raised the sampled brides' literacy skills way above female national levels, they were largely excluded from participating in the colonial wage labour market. In this context, the missionary society presented an almost exclusive source of female wage labour in areas of religious service, schooling and medical care. While literacy per se did not affect women's marriage behaviour, women who worked for the missionaries married significantly later in life and married men closer to their own age, signalling a shift in the power balance between parents and daughters and between husband and wife. On average, daughters of fathers deeply entrenched in the missionary movement had the highest chances to access wage employment, emphasizing the importance of paternal mission networks for Protestant women's work outside the household during colonial times.
Throughout the history of the field of Africology, there have been numerous contributions made by Afrikan women. Specifically, Molefi Kete Asante observed the lack of recognition of works produced by prominent Afrikan woman scholars such... more
Throughout the history of the field of Africology, there have been numerous contributions made by Afrikan women. Specifically, Molefi Kete Asante observed the lack of recognition of works produced by prominent Afrikan woman scholars such as Marimba Ani and the late Frances Cress Welsing. As a result, Asante wrote a book in dedication to one of the essential scholaractivists to emerge in “the Pan African Panoply of Afrocentric writers” (Asante, 2020, p. 1). Asante opens up by pointing out that no other Afrikan woman writing in French and English has arrived at the Pan Afrikan and Afrocentric position like Mazama. The book introduces the general audience to Mazama’s international stature in the Afrikan world.
Although professional social work in Uganda has a long history, given its colonial origin in the 1950s, the profession is still struggling with challenges such as an unclear professional mandate, public recognition and relevance. These... more
Although professional social work in Uganda has a long history, given its colonial origin in the 1950s, the profession is still struggling with challenges such as an unclear professional mandate, public recognition and relevance. These challenges point to the ultimate need for decolonisation although social workers are grappling with finding ways to decolonise and localise their practice. This paper presents local knowledge on the self-organised mutual support groups led by older women, based on life story interviews of 10 older women in a rural community in South Western Uganda. Local knowledge on groups' formation and functions, their strengths and constraints will be presented. The main argument is that this local knowledge and experience can provide a basis for culturally appropriate social work interventions that build on the already existing initiatives and wisdom of people from below. The paper begins with a discussion on the current situation of social work in Uganda before presenting the empirical findings on older women's self-organised groups and how they can inform decolonisation of social work practice in Uganda.
Book review: CANDIDO, Mariana P.; JONES, Adam (orgs.). African Women in the Atlantic World: Property, Vulnerability & Mobility, 1660-1880. Woodbridge, UK: James Currey, 2019. 304 p. How to cite: SILVA SANTOS, V. Mulheres africanas no... more
Book review: CANDIDO, Mariana P.; JONES, Adam (orgs.). African Women in the Atlantic World: Property, Vulnerability & Mobility, 1660-1880. Woodbridge, UK: James Currey, 2019. 304 p.
Although professional social work in Uganda has a long history, given its colonial origin in the 1950s, the profession is still struggling with challenges such as an unclear professional mandate, public recognition and relevance. These... more
Although professional social work in Uganda has a long history, given its colonial origin in the 1950s, the profession is still struggling with challenges such as an unclear professional mandate, public recognition and relevance. These challenges point to the ultimate need for decolonisation although social workers are grappling with finding ways to decolonise and localise their practice. This paper presents local knowledge on the self-organised mutual support groups led by older women, based on life story interviews of 10 older women in a rural community in South Western Uganda. Local knowledge on groups’ formation and functions, their strengths and constraints will be presented. The main argument is that this local knowledge and experience can provide a basis for culturally appropriate social work interventions that build on the already existing initiatives and wisdom of people from below. The paper begins with a discussion on the current situation of social work in Uganda before ...
Background: Female reproduction is associated with physiological, metabolic and nutritional demands that can negatively affect health and are possibly cumulative when parity is high. While it is probable that maternal oral health is... more
Background: Female reproduction is associated with physiological, metabolic and nutritional demands that can negatively affect health and are possibly cumulative when parity is high. While it is probable that maternal oral health is similarly affected, available evidence is based on fairly low parity populations and likely confounders affecting oral health status were not considered. Aim: To determine the relationship between parity and tooth loss in a population with many high parity women. Contributions of age, reproductive and socio-economic parameters, and oral health practices were considered. Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 612 Hausa women of all parity levels aged 13-65 years. Women with ≥5 children were considered high parity. Socio-demographic status and oral health practices were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. All teeth present, (excluding third molars) and missing teeth were noted, with inquiries regarding tooth loss etiology. Associations with tooth loss were evaluated through correlations, ANOVA, post hoc analyses and Student’s t-tests. Effect sizes were used to interpret the magnitude of differences. Multiple regression (negative binomial model) was used to investigate predictors of tooth loss. Results: Hausa women had a low prevalence of tooth loss, despite poor oral hygiene and limited dental care. Older, middle SES, and higher parity women experienced significantly more tooth loss. Additionally, increased duration of reproductively active years was significantly related to fewer remaining teeth. Conclusion: Higher parity was related to greater tooth loss in Hausa women. Women with >5 children experienced more loss than lower parity age mates.
Key words: Parity, tooth loss, Maternal Depletion Syndrome, Africa
Researchers from diverse fields continue to search for clues underlying the disparity between interest and achievement of men and women in mathematics. In Western countries, psychologists have focused on such factors as attitudes and... more
Researchers from diverse fields continue to search for clues underlying the disparity between interest and achievement of men and women in mathematics. In Western countries, psychologists have focused on such factors as attitudes and motives when studying women’s mathematics achievement. Relatively little attention has been placed on women in sub-Saharan countries. For this study, one hundred and forty female students in Cote d’Ivoire have completed an inventory of mathematics attitudes (the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scale, 1976), and a background questionnaire. High-achieving female students report less anxious attitudes, more positive attitudes towards problem solving (effectance motivation), and more positive attitudes towards the usefulness of mathematics than do low-achieving students. In conclusion, this study discusses future research and intervention strategies to positively affect mathematics attitudes and achievement for female Ivorian students. About the Autho...
... It was intended to compensate for Eritrea's lack of capital and to reduce dependence on foreignaid, while welding together the diverse society (half Christian and half Muslim, from nine distinct ethnic ... Strategies for Change:... more
... It was intended to compensate for Eritrea's lack of capital and to reduce dependence on foreignaid, while welding together the diverse society (half Christian and half Muslim, from nine distinct ethnic ... Strategies for Change: Women & Politics in Eritrea & South Africa 199 ...
