Decolonizing Western Feminist’s Interpretation of African Women’s Experiences

African womanhood as a lived experience and a symbolic ideology has withstood the trials of time. It has survived slavery, colonialism, and continuous flawed portrayals rampant in Western feminist discourse.

Written by Haddy Gassama

Nov 13, 2019

BRUNO BARBEY

The Mandinka word for King is Mansah. Unlike its English counterparts, Mansah has no implicit or explicit gender. Instead, a speaker must take the extra linguistic step of adding the male or female adjective to the word to assert and specify the gender of a Mansah. Mansah Keh translates to male king or male leader. Mansah Musso translates to female king or female leader—female king, to reiterate, not queen. I come from a land of women kings. I speak a language that recognized their reigns and power long before an English-speaking tongue ever uttered the word feminism.

The perception of African women by non-Africans often stems from misguided interpretations of their lived experiences. In an age where African women are at the forefront of socio-political movements, technological innovations, and medical breakthroughs, flawed notions of what it means to be an African woman still undermine female African achievement. In a recent interview, Melinda Gates, the co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said ‘access to contraceptives is the greatest anti-poverty tool we have.’

Although she expressed these views in the context of her passion for working with African women, there is some danger in suggesting birth control as a significant development tool. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donates millions of dollars in humanitarian aid in African countries every year, yet its co-founder seems to believe that a lack of access to birth control lies at the centre of the poverty problem, and that access to contraceptives is the most prominent solution to reducing poverty levels.

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About the Author

Haddy Gassama

is a lawyer based in Washington D.C. She works on issues concerning human rights, immigrant rights, and women's rights.

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Decolonizing Western Feminist’s Interpretation of African Women’s Experiences

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