The African Diaspora and Women’s Struggles in Africa

Abstract

Various scholars have documented the contribution of the African Diaspora toward the different struggles on the continent. However, the specific contributions of the African Diaspora toward women’s struggles have not received much attention. The chapter presents a brief overview of the African Diaspora's engagement with women’s struggles in Africa. It is important to note that the struggles of women in Africa are unique but also linked to the major continental struggles for independence, democratization, sustainable livelihood, and the continental struggles for women's empowerment. The chapter argues that the engagement of the Diaspora with specific reference to women’s struggles has been limited yet very dynamic and beneficial. The African Diaspora has implicitly and explicitly served as a relevant source of first-hand knowledge that supports the information politics of women's organizations and individual women in Africa. Through linkages with women's organizations and individuals in African countries, the African Diaspora has also engaged in the transfer of economic and social remittances toward economic development, political processes, and the dismantling of structures that constrain women's empowerment in Africa.