Indigenous Feminism and Black Women Leadership

Abstract

For decades, feminism has been a concept associated with women‟s freedom from patriarchy, and this movement started in 1848 in Europe. Several political and social movements have fought on the side of women for gender equality over decades. In the 1960s, radical feminism grew because of the women‟s liberation movement, which continued well into the 1970s and 1980s. Over the years, feminism has given a voice to women wanting to unshackle themselves from patriarchy. This conceptual article examines indigenous feminism, which is an alternative to Eurocentric feminism. Amongst others, the indigenous feminists perceive their mandate as one of decolonizing feminism, thus looking beyond patriarchy as the sole problem women face in society. Indigenous feminists also recognize race, class and colonial history as among the major obstacles to women‟s advancement. Using theory synthesis, the article found that indigenous feminism embraced by womanism reflects how African women could contest for social justice and equality while utilizing certain values and principles. The conclusions demonstrate that women from the Global South will be empowered by African philosophies as they become strong leaders in society. Furthermore, the conclusions point out that empowered African women would be able to confront social injustices that stunt their growth as leaders in society.