Author: Rumbidzai A. Kandawasvika-Nhundu Publisher: ISBN: 9789187729058 Category : Africa Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
One of the persistent democratic deficits throughout the world is women’s lack of influence in politics. In relation to political parties in particular, the voice of women in decision-making remains insufficient, and, in some cases, is nonexistent. This report is based on the findings of a two-year project implemented by International IDEA, aimed at analyzing the commitments of political parties to gender equality in 33 countries in Africa. One of the key findings from this research is that, although political parties’ constitutions and manifestos contain general gender equality commitments, their utility is limited by the lack of concrete measures to ensure that commitments are translated into effective actions and outcomes.
Author: T. Oladejo Publisher: African Books Collective ISBN: 9785864952 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 255
Book Description
Good governance is an index of human development. What constitutes good governance is holistic and gender issues are key components in the formation and practice of governance. In pre-colonial Africa, governance is inclusive of men and women. In the pre-colonial era, it could be argued that women had spheres of power and powerlessness. In most post-colonial societies of Africa, it is a rarity to accord women positions in government. Yet, the United Nations Conferences held in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985), Beijing (1995) and New York (2000), all had drafts and resolutions to change inequalities and vulnerabilities women encounter in public and private spaces. What are the issues to understand in the inclusion or exclusion of women in governance of African states and societies? This book explicates the experiential issues in gender, politics and governance. The 'known' are the stereotypes accorded to women as weak and unfit to take strategic roles in public life. Scholars across disciplines have debunked this perception. The known constantly linger in perpetuity because the development plans of African states fail to understand what it takes to have women empowered in all ramifications.
Author: Diana Højlund Madsen Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1913441172 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 273
Book Description
During the course of the past three decades efforts of democratisation and institutional reforms have characterised the African continent, including demands for gender equality and women's political representation. As a result, some countries have introduced affirmative action measures, either in the aftermath of conflicts or as part of broader constitutional reforms, whereas others are falling behind this fast track to women's political representation. Utilising a range of case studies spanning both the success cases and the less successful cases from different regions, this work examines the uneven developments on the continent. By mapping, analysing and comparing women's political representation in different African contexts, this book sheds light on the formal and informal institutions and the interplay between these that are influencing women's political representation and can explain the development on women's political representation across the continent and present perspectives on an 'African feminist institutionalism'.
Author: Funmi Soetan Publisher: Lexington Books ISBN: 1498593259 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 367
Book Description
Sustainable development is now intricately linked not just to economic growth, but more importantly, to the quality of life of people in terms of their social status, political participation, cultural freedom, environmental justice and inclusive development. For previously colonized nations like Nigeria, these linkages are believed to have been influenced by the legacies of colonial rule, positively or otherwise. Through the Gender Lens: A Century of Social and Political Development in Nigeria looks at how colonialism has enabled or hindered the roles of the state in promoting inclusive development in general, and gender equality, in particular, in the process of nation building. In this edited volume, scholars analyze a host of policies, strategies and programs, as well as empirical evidence, to expose how types of governance — from direct colonial rule in the country from 1914, through her independence in 1960, a Republic in 1963, and to different post-independence governance periods — have influenced gender relations, and the impacts of these on Nigerian women. Diverse sectoral perspectives from education, health, culture, environment, and especially politics, are presented to explain the level of attainment (or otherwise) of gender equality and the implications for Nigeria’s road to sustainable development. The emphasis on the role of the state in development particularly indicts the social and political domains of governance. Hence, the main focus of inquiry in the volume. In its twelve chapters, the authors analyze available data and other information to draw relevant conclusions, identify lessons of experience, including from some cross-country comparisons, and make concrete recommendations for more gender-inclusive systems of governance in the next century of Nigeria’s nationhood.
Author: Leonardo Arriola Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0192652966 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 240
Book Description
Women and Power in Africa: Aspiring, Campaigning, and Governing examines women's experiences in African politics as aspirants to public office, as candidates in election campaigns, and as elected representatives. Part I evaluates women's efforts to become party candidates in four African countries: Benin, Ghana, Malawi, and Zambia. The chapters draw on a variety of methods, including extensive interviews with women candidates, to describe and assess the barriers confronted when women seek to enter politics. The chapters help explain why women remain underrepresented as candidates for office, particularly in countries without gender-based quotas, by emphasizing the impact of financial constraints, fears of violence, and resistance among party leaders. Part II turns to women's experiences as candidates during elections in Kenya and Ghana. One chapter provides an in-depth account of a woman's presidential bid in Kenya, demonstrating how gendered ethnicity undermined her candidacy, and another chapter presents a novel evaluation of the media's coverage of women candidates in Ghana. Part III turns to women as legislators in Namibia, Uganda, and Burkina Faso, asking whether women engage in substantive representation on gendered policy issues once in office. The chapters challenge the assumption that a critical mass of women is necessary or sufficient to achieve substantive representation. Taken together, the book's chapters problematize existing hypotheses regarding women in political power, drawing on understudied countries and variety of empirical methods. By following political pathways from entry to governance, the book uncovers how gendered experiences early in the political process shape what is possible for women once they attain political power. Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations is a series for scholars and students working on African politics and International Relations and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on contemporary developments in African political science, political economy, and International Relations, such as electoral politics, democratization, decentralization, the political impact of natural resources, the dynamics and consequences of conflict, and the nature of the continent's engagement with the East and West. Comparative and mixed methods work is particularly encouraged. Case studies are welcomed but should demonstrate the broader theoretical and empirical implications of the study and its wider relevance to contemporary debates. The series focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, although proposals that explain how the region engages with North Africa and other parts of the world are of interest. Series Editors: Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham; and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, Professor of the International Politics of Africa, University of Oxford.
Author: Japhet Biegon Publisher: ISBN: Category : Democracy Languages : en Pages : 226
Book Description
Chapter One: Gender equality in political processes: An introduction / by Japhet Biegon. Chapter Two: Women and political inclusion in Kenya: a historical overview, 1963 - 2016 / by Effie Owuor. Chapter Three: The quest for equal gender representation in Kenya's Parliament: past and present challenges / by Patricia Kameri-Mbote. Chapter Four: The path towards inclusive democracy in Kenya / by Katindi Sivi-Njonjo. Chapter Five: The role of political parties in promoting women's political participation / by Dickson Omondi. Chapter Six: The roots and effects of electoral sexual and gender-based violence on women's political participation in Kenya / by J Osogo Ambani. Chapter Seven: Beyond Kenya: The impact of Article 9 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa on women's political participation in Africa / by Osai Ojigho.
Author: Shireen Hassim Publisher: ISBN: Category : History Languages : en Pages : 384
Book Description
The transition to democracy in South Africa was one of the defining events in twentieth-century political history. The South African women’s movement is one of the most celebrated on the African continent. Shireen Hassim examines interactions between the two as she explores the gendered nature of liberation and regime change. Her work reveals how women’s political organizations both shaped and were shaped by the broader democratic movement. Alternately asserting their political independence and giving precedence to the democratic movement as a whole, women activists proved flexible and remarkably successful in influencing policy. At the same time, their feminism was profoundly shaped by the context of democratic and nationalist ideologies. In reading the last twenty-five years of South African history through a feminist framework, Hassim offers fresh insights into the interactions between civil society, political parties, and the state. Hassim boldly confronts sensitive issues such as the tensions between autonomy and political dependency in feminists’ engagement with the African National Congress (ANC) and other democratic movements, and black-white relations within women’s organizations. She offers a historically informed discussion of the challenges facing feminist activists during a time of nationalist struggle and democratization. Winner, Victoria Schuck Award for best book on women and politics, American Political Science Association “An exceptional study, based on extensive research. . . . Highly recommended.”—Choice “A rich history of women’s organizations in South African . . . . [Hassim] had observed at first hand, and often participated in, much of what she described. She had access to the informants and private archives that so enliven the narrative and enrich the analysis. She provides a finely balanced assessment.”—Gretchen Bauer, African Studies Review
Author: Rumbidzai A. Kandawasvika-Nhundu
Author: Rose Shayo
Author: T. Oladejo
Author: Diana Højlund Madsen
Author: Funmi Soetan
Author: Colleen Lowe Morna
Author: Leonardo Arriola
Author: Glenda Fick
Author: Japhet Biegon
Author: Shireen Hassim