Throughout the history of social and political
movements in African societies, generations
of women have, in one way or another,
worked to oppose patriarchal domination,
laws and practices in the pursuit of gender
equality; advocating for their equal participation
in all aspects of social, economic and
political life. Despite this tradition of women-
centred and anti-patriarchal organising,
it is only in the last few decades, partly due
to efforts to entrench women’s emancipation
and gender equality in development
goals, that feminism in Africa has evolved as
an explicit ideological and political concept.
Against a background of political and cultural disruption, Perspectives approached writers to inquire, speculatively or not so speculatively, into an African future. The result is an eclectic mix of contributions and conversations across the arts, culture, philosophy and politics. They offer glimpses of African futures – fantastic, idealistic, or sober, but always self-confident – that place the continent at the centre of a world to come.
Which African leaders qualify as an icon? Perhaps this is always a controversial question, but it was much easier to answer, say, 25 years ago, when the public memories of Pan-Africanist champions such as Kwame Nkrumah and Julius Nyerere were still fresh, Nelson Mandela had just walked out of prison, and Robert Mugabe was a widely respected leader.
This edition of Perspectives contributes to the ongoing debate on infrastructure development in Africa by sharing snapshots of experience from around the continent, exploring questions about democratic participation, the role of human and environmental rights, and economic transformation.
