Women and Collective Action in Africa: Development, Democratization, and Empowerment [First Edition] 1403970823, 9781403970824, 9781403979490

Table of contents :
Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 6
List of Illustrations......Page 10
Preface......Page 12
Acknowledgment......Page 13
Acronyms......Page 14
Introduction......Page 18
The Challenge......Page 19
Review of Relevant Concepts and Theories......Page 20
Definition, Nature, and Origin......Page 21
Collective Identities......Page 22
Institutional Manifestations......Page 23
Women's Collective Action and Social Movement Theory......Page 25
The Nexus of Collective Action and Reaction: A Conceptual Model......Page 26
The Development–Underdevelopment Nexus......Page 27
The Democratization–Authoritarianism Nexus......Page 32
Empowerment......Page 35
Introduction......Page 38
The People......Page 41
Social Organization......Page 42
Women's Associations in Freetown......Page 46
Trends in Women's Associations......Page 48
Federations and Associations of National Unity......Page 50
National Policy for Women......Page 51
Results of a PostWar Survey on Focus Groups......Page 52
Introduction......Page 54
Authoritarianism, War, and Economic Decline......Page 56
Women, Democratization, and the Quest for Peace......Page 59
The Role of Women's Associations, Especially the Women's Forum......Page 60
National Conferences on Democratization......Page 66
Female Activism in the 1996 Elections—A Test of Unity......Page 67
Gender Bias in the Body Politic......Page 70
The Peace Process Renewed......Page 71
Militarism, Peacekeepers, and Gender Vulnerabilities......Page 72
End of the War, the 50/50 Group and the 2002 Election......Page 73
The Impact of Women on Democratization and the Peace Process......Page 74
Economic Profile of Women in Freetown......Page 76
Management and Decision-Making Positions......Page 77
The Women's Movement......Page 78
The Gara Thrift and Credit Society and Similar Associations......Page 82
Rotating Credit Associations—Indigenous Mechanisms for Micro-Credit......Page 83
Cooperatives......Page 86
Gendered Education......Page 92
Contributions of Individual Women to Female Education......Page 95
Education and Female Professional Advancement......Page 96
Educational Challenges for Women......Page 97
The Educational Role of Women's Associations......Page 100
Vocational Education......Page 101
The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)......Page 102
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)—Sierra Leone Chapter......Page 105
Female Education and Socioeconomic Development......Page 108
Human Resource Development......Page 109
Secret Societies......Page 112
Sande/Bondo Female Society......Page 113
Sande and Social Change......Page 117
The Urbanized Secret......Page 118
Female Circumcision: A Global Practice......Page 120
Social Change, Female Circumcision, and Controversies......Page 122
The Enduring Features of Sande......Page 125
Secret Society Affiliation......Page 128
Tensions Between Statutory and Customary Marriages......Page 130
Multiple Mothering......Page 131
Promoting Solidarity and Political Expression......Page 132
Introduction......Page 136
Women and Islam......Page 138
Limitations of Islamic Influence on Social Institutions......Page 140
Examples of Muslim Women's Associations......Page 142
Political Links Through Hajas......Page 144
Introduction......Page 146
Mobilizing Resources......Page 150
Maintaining the Ideology of Womanhood and Christian Marriage......Page 151
Promoting Healing......Page 154
Female Charisma and Religious Leadership......Page 155
Promoting Unity......Page 156
The Development–Underdevelopment Nexus......Page 158
The Democratization–Authoritarianism Nexus......Page 162
The Role of the State......Page 165
Nationalism......Page 167
Religious Fundamentalism and Democratization......Page 170
Summary......Page 172
Introduction......Page 174
The Development–Underdevelopment Nexus......Page 175
The Democratization–Authoritarianism Nexus......Page 179
Conflict Prevention and Peace Building......Page 181
The Contribution of African Women to the International Women's Movement......Page 184
Summary......Page 188
Engendering and Enhancing Development and Democratization......Page 190
Notes......Page 196
Bibliography......Page 206
C......Page 218
F......Page 219
I......Page 220
M......Page 221
R......Page 222
T......Page 223
H......Page 224
Z......Page 225