Womafhistory 2024

As African nations gained independence, political representation within state institutions became a significant goal for many women. However, dismantling the colonial legacy and achieving public visibility in the political arena proved to be formidable challenges. Despite these obstacles, women actively contested for office, campaigned, engaged in political discourse through writing and speech, voted, and participated in various institutions—ranging from political parties and unions to local and national assemblies. In doing so, they were strategic actors in the process of postcolonial state building.

Yet, their contributions have often been relegated to the periphery of African political history, typically confined to the "women’s section," while male figures have dominated the broader political narrative. Historically, the political role of African women has been largely understood through the lens of grassroots movements and their involvement in social and economic development initiatives.

In recent years, a new wave of scholarship has begun to address this historiographical gap, examining how women have challenged entrenched political orders from positions of power. Building on this emerging trend, this conference sought to recover the histories of African women’s involvement in postcolonial state building, and to uncover narratives, concepts, and sources that highlight their multifaceted political imagination, actions, and languages.