Women, Power and Culture in Africa

Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa by Kathleen E. Sheldon This vast dictionary launches the new series, Historical Dictionaries of Women in the World, and fills a huge gap in the literature, as there previously has not been any comprehensive reference work on African women. This dictionary includes over 660 entries on notable women in history, politics, religion, the arts, and other sectors; on events particularly associated with women; on women's organizations and publications; and on a range of topics that are important to women in general or that have a special importance for African women, including marriage, fertility, market women, goddesses, and much more. Entries include cross-referencing information that facilitates readers' ability to find related information. The book also includes an introductory essay and a chronology on African women's history, as well as an extensive bibliography divided into sub-sections on different historical eras and subjects. Access to finding specific information is further aided by a country index. A wide range of users will find this reference extremely valuable, including researchers in African or women's history, high school and university students, and people involved with African policy and development issues such as diplomats or aid workers.

Women of Eastern and Southern Africa by Davis A. Bullwinkle This massive work, the last of a three-volume set, represents a phenomenal effort in information gathering. One's first reaction to the three volumes is to wish they were on a database, more a commentary on today's research habits than the author's skill in presenting the material. The 518 pages of tightly packed references are arranged by country, then by broad categories, e.g., Status of Women, ' Family Planning and Contraception, ' History.' . . . This is a valuable research tool. The researcher in a hurry might be put off by its sheer volume and the densely packed arrangement, but the researcher willing to put in the work will be richly rewarded with a very thorough survey of printed sources concerning women in Africa. "Choice" As a result of the United Nations General Assembly's proclamation that the years 1976 to 1985 would be designated The United Nations Decade for Women, Equality, Development and Peace, there has been a proliferation of scholarly research on the status of women, and African women in particular, following a world conference in Mexico City in 1975. This bibliography brings together many English-language publications written about women in Eastern and Southern Africa during that decade and it includes materials divided into general subjects as well as regional and national topics. It is part of a three-volume set. Bullwinkle begins by describing the problems of women in Africa and the Third World. The extensive introduction provides a fascinating overview of the gains achieved by women since 1976, and discusses the inequalities that continue to exist. Presented in a logically arranged format, the citations include difficult-to-find materials such as articles appearing in edited books and journals, Masters theses, Ph.D. dissertations, conference papers, and monographs. Entries are cross-referenced by subject heading, covering such timely issues as cultural roles, divorce, equality and liberation, fertility and infertility, marital relations, religion and witchcraft, sex roles, and mass media. Examining a broad spectrum of social concerns pertaining to women, this comprehensive work greatly expands the availability of previously inaccessible information, and opens new avenues for research. Unlike any other reference in the field, Women of Eastern and Southern Africa represents a unique contribution to scholarship in the social sciences and African and women's studies, and, with its two companion volumes, contains the largest amount of material published on the subject to date. It will be an invaluable addition to all libraries, and a useful tool for those engaged in further research on the problems of the oppressed and underprivileged.

Women of Northern, Western, and Central Africa by Davis A. Bullwinkle This is the second in a projected three-volume series which will be the standard for the English-speaking world when completed. This series will constitute a major, comprehensive bibliography of English-language works (over 4,100 will be cited in all) on women in Africa for the period 1976-1985; a follow-up volume (targeted for publication in 1993) will cover the years 1986-1990. . . . In Volumes 2 and 3, arrangement is by subject within both regional and national categories. Items are cross-referenced for maximum coverage. . . . Required for college and university libraries supporting African studies programs. "Choice" As a result of the United Nations General Assembly's proclamation that the years 1976 to 1985 would be designated The United Nations Decade for Women, Equality, Development and Peace, there has been a proliferation of scholarly research on the status of women, and African women in particular, following a world conference in Mexico City in 1975. This bibliography brings together many English-language publications written about women in Northern, Western, and Central Africa during that decade. As part of a three-volume set this work includes materials divided into general subjects as well as regional and national topics. Bullwinkle begins by describing the problems of women in Africa and the Third World. The extensive introduction provides a fascinating overview of the gains achieved by women since 1976, and discusses the inequalities that continue to exist. Presented in a logically arranged format, the citations include difficult-to-find materials such as articles appearing in edited books and journals, Masters theses, Ph.D. dissertations, conference papers, and monographs. Entries are cross-referenced by subject heading, covering such timely issues as cultural roles, divorce, equality and liberation, fertility and infertility, marital relations, religion and witchcraft, sex roles, and mass media. Examining a broad spectrum of social concerns pertaining to women, this comprehensive work greatly expands the availability of previously inaccessible information, and opens new avenues for research. Unlike any other reference in the field, Women of Northern, Western, and Central Africa represents a unique contribution to scholarship in the social sciences and African and women's studies, and, with its two companion volumes, contains the largest amount of material published on the subject to date. It will be an invaluable addition to all libraries, and a useful tool for those engaged in further research on the problems of the oppressed and underprivileged.

Women Leaders in African History by David Sweetman Lively portraits of twelve key figures whose periods of influence ranged from ancient Egypt to the colonial era. Illustrated with maps, photos, and engravings.

Female Novelists of Modern Africa by Oladele Taiwo

Guide to Women Leaders in Africa This guide lists about 270 influential African women leaders and provides a brief description of who they were. The list is chronological, spanning the 1620’s right up to 2012 and covers the entire continent. To see the complete Guide to Women in leadership, see http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/

The Invention of Women by Oyeronke Oyewumi

African Gender Studies by Oyeronke Oyewumi This is the first comprehensive reader that brings African experiences to bear on the ongoing global discussions of women, gender, and society. Bringing together the essential writing on this topic from the last 25 years, these essays discuss gender in Africa from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

Male Daughters, Female Husbands by Ifi Amadiume Challenging the received orthodoxies of social anthropology, Ifi Amadiume argues that in precolonial society, sex and gender did not necessarily coincide. Examining the structures that enabled women to achieve power, she shows that roles were neither rigidly masculinized nor feminized. Economic changes in colonial times undermined women's status and reduced their political role and Dr Amadiume maintains, patriarchal tendencies introduced by colonialism persist today, to the detriment of women. Critical of the chauvinist stereotypes established by colonial anthropology, the author stresses the importance of recognizing women's economic activities as as essential basis of their power. She is also critical of those western feminists who, when relating to African women, tend to accept the same outmoded projections.

Re-Creating Ourselves by Molara Ogundipe-Leslie A selection of writings in which the author has critically and creatively pondered issues of gender, politics, and social transformation for at least three decades

Motherism: the Afrocentric Alternative to Feminism by Acholonu, Catherine Obianuju