Women’s Rights and Motherism in Africa: From Post-colonial Perspectives

• In Event: Poster Session: Religion and Politics & Sexuality and Politics & Politics, Literature, and Film
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Politics, Literature, and Film

Abstract

Motherism is a multidimensional theory, which involves the dynamics of ordering, reordering, structuring, building and rebuilding in cooperation with Mother Nature. This paper aims to discuss Motherism as an African type of feminism, (motherism) which is embedded in African cultural tenets and realities to protect women’s rights in every African society. An aspect central to Motherism is cooperation with nature and the healing and protection of the essence of the family, the child, society, and the environment. Therefore, to live the theory and be a Motherist involves being a humanist, a healer, a co-creator with God and nature, and an environmentalist. The Motherist must see the whole of humanity, the universe and the entire planet (earth) as her constituency. (Acholonu 2000) Postcolonial theory has been used for the analysis of this paper. This analysis is useful in the African context for certain reasons. Firstly, in the post-colonial era, most African writers show commitment and care towards empowering women in their narratives. Secondly, in line with the concept of post-colonialism, African writers after the 1970s have proceeded beyond the stage of disillusionment and the post-independence mourning and moved the ideology into new terrain to resist the western hegemony and neo-colonialism form in their literary texts. This new terrain involves demanding change in the political and social aspects of the societies in which they exist. This paper utilises the Black writing model as a research tool for the analysis of Ngugi’s Matigari novel and Achebe’s Anthills of the Savannahs as for data on contemporary African novels.

Keywords: Motherism, African Feminism, motherland, motherhood, Post-colonialism, Resistance

Author

• Getnet Tibebu Alemayehu, Asian American Center of Frederick