Daughters of the goddess, daughters of imperialism : African women struggle for culture, power and democracy.

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Title:

Author:

Amadiume, Ifi, 1947-

ISBN:

9781856498067

9781856498050

Personal Author:

Amadiume, Ifi, 1947-

Publication Information:

New York : Zed Books, 2000.

Physical Description:

xix, 300 p. ; 22 cm.

Contents:

Nigeria: Statistics, Chronology, Human Rights -- 1. African Women: Present Realities and Future Directions -- 2. A History of Class Transformations: Contemporary Women's Organizations in Nigeria -- 3. Speaking for Women: Class Contestation in NCWS and Other Organizations -- 4. Class and Gender Dynamics in Professional Women's Organizations -- 5. Gender and Class in Campaigns and Civil Discourse -- 6. Class and Gender in Child Abuse -- 7. Women's Health Care and Discourses on Reproductive Health -- 8. Women and the 1986 National Political Debate -- 9. Women in Local Government: a Comparison -- 10. Gendering Grassroots Democracy in the Women's Committee System -- 11. Class Corruption and Women's Mobilization: the Cults of First Lady -- 12. The Politics of Women's Committees: Lessons from Britain and Lessons for South Africa.

Abstract:

"This seminal work charts a genealogy of class transformation in the 20th century. In its critique of developmentalism it proposes a genuine commitment to equity and gender democratization. Using the metaphor of a collectivist, humanist culture of traditional African matriarchal heritage, Professor Amadiume contrasts daughters of the Goddess with a corrupt and oppressive culture of imperialism that, she argues, is the heritage of contemporary elite-led women's organizations."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject Term:

Women's rights -- Africa.

Women -- Africa -- Social conditions.

Women -- Political activity -- Africa.

Copies:

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Copy	Status
Searching... 1:IIEMSA	1:GEN-BOOK	33168015683465	305.42096 A481D 2000	1	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Using the idea of a collectivist, humanist culture of traditional African matriarchal heritage, Ifi Amadiume contrasts daughters of the Goddess to a corrupt and oppressive culture of imperialism that she argues is the heritage of contemporary elite-led women's organizations. She examines the activities of such organizations in Nigeria, making comparisons with those in Britain and South Africa as well as international movements; looking at the 1995 Beijing International Women's Conferences, she explores internationalism as an instrument of class reproduction.

The author provides a detailed account of the structures and workings of local government in Nigeria and Britain as she raises theoretical and policy issues about civic groups, civil society and the nature of the late twentieth century state. Finally, Professor Amadiume draws lessons from her own experiences working in local government to suggest measures for true gender equity and the democratisation of politics in our increasingly multicultural and multiethnic societies. This book asks some hard questions of contemporary feminist movements and provides the most detailed account available of Nigerian women's politics.