Women's movement: a comparative study of Nigerian and South African women in the liberation movement, 1914-1994.
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Date
2023
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Abstract
The subject of women’s liberation movements has undoubtedly evoked intense debates
among scholars, researchers, politicians, women political activists, feminists, and proponents
of women’s liberation across the globe from the colonial to the post-colonial era. Though
women’s role in the struggle for liberation in Africa no doubt occupies considerable time and
space in history, there is little historical documentation as compared to the menfolk. Nigeria
and South Africa share similar trajectories of colonial oppression and resistance. In both
countries, women played pivotal roles in the liberation movement. The key aim of this study
is to compare the roles of Nigerian and South African women in the liberation movements as
there is a paucity of comparative study in the existing literature. This study focuses on three
issues: the motives for women’s participation; nature of women’s’ protests and the
experiences of women as political prisoners. The study adopts a qualitative research
methodology using a historical approach that combines oral interviews and archival sources.
It is framed within post-colonial, intersectionality, and resistance theories seeking to shift
women’s voices from the margins to the centre in liberation narratives. The thesis
contributes a deeper insight into the trials and tribulations of women’s participation in the
liberation movements. A comparative study of South Africa and Nigeria highlightscommonalities and differences into factors that shaped and defined women’s resistance on the African continent.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.