I grew up in south-west Uganda in a village called Kibona. I am a middle child so fighting to be heard and not ignored comes naturally to me. I have one sister and four brothers. Only one is older than me. By the time I was in my early adolescent years my sister was already…
My maternal grandmother climbed trees and refused to marry my grandfather. My grandmother’s daughter knew too much. She was the kind of woman most men aren’t comfortable with. These African women were the first feminists I knew even if they never identified themselves as one. Therefore, when people say feminism is un-African I smile. Introduction…
“I have come to believe over and over again that what is important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.” Audre Lorde I don’t remember when I first started to identify as a feminist. It’s one of those things that happened without…
At 15 I lived in my imagination with my body as an uncooperative hostage. Still, I internalised the guidelines of female conduct as I stumbled and fell awkwardly in my first pair of high heels headed to my first co-ed party. On my way out as I was falling all over myself, my dad said:…
This article was harder to write than I expected. Partly because it is my first piece for African Feminism, but mostly because this is a topic so dear and near to me. While trying to translate all my personal and somewhat intimate thoughts on what feminism means to me into words is difficult, it is…
July 22nd started out as a happy, sunny morning in Nairobi. The “All Sold Out” concert was all set to rock the house in a few hours. Koffi Olomide, his dynamite band and a stunning entourage of dancers had just touched down in Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Excited fans, cell phone cameras in hand,…
This is a reflection from one of the #ArifWond (Cool Man) initiative members following a discussion with the renowned Alemayehu Gelagay on “Representations of Femininity and Masculinities in Ethiopian Literature” The other day we had a continuing debate on the power and limits of culture on gender relations in Ethiopian society at #ArifWond (literary means ‘cool guy’) –…
My husband is not a feminist. It is a strange thing for me, because much of the way he operates entirely aligns with my definition of feminism, but he absolutely refuses to take on the mantle of a feminist. And, of course, it is not just him – men and women who I trust, respect…
AF is thrilled to welcome on board two new feminist writers from Uganda, Godiva and Tricia, whose short bio’s are shared below. We look forward to sharing their thoughts and experiences among our growing community of AF writers. GODIVA AKULLO (Uganda) Godiva Akullo is a feminist lawyer and activist with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Makerere…
I wonder though, as a feminist are you always expected to be vocal? It doesn’t seem like an easy way to live life. That was the concern a friend shared with me a week ago. Although I did not have a fully formed answer to his question, I responded by sharing with him a quote…
For me to talk about what feminism means to me, I would have to talk about my life story. Don’t worry, it will not be a step by step, real time recount of my entire life but the moments in my life that ultimately shaped my identity as a feminist. Now you have to know…
I grew up around boys; gender differences were not only an apparent issue, they were also emphasized. Socialization of children in my society and in any other patriarchal society ensures that one grows consciously aware of the differences and gender roles between the sexes that society dictates. As I grew older, I started realizing how…
