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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:A Woman's Right to Political Participation in Africa
Author:Anonymous
Year:1990
Periodical:Africa Today
Volume:37
Issue:1
Period:1st Quarter
Pages:49-56
Language:English
Geographic term:Africa
Subjects:women
politics
Politics and Government
Women's Issues
Equality and Liberation
Law, Legal Issues, and Human Rights
Education and Training
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/4186624
Abstract:Lack of political power by women as a group promises to prolong the disadvantaged position of women in Africa. During the mid-1980s, women on average represented only 6 percent of the members of national legislatures in Africa, and their participation in other national bodies that exert influence is also limited. Statistical indicators also show that women generally do not receive the same levels and kinds of education as men in Africa. Limits on political power and educational inequality are often inextricably linked and the educational discrepancy between genders places a formidable handicap on whichever strategy that is pursued to gain more political influence for women. Familial structures and cultural constraints have traditionally placed women in a subordinate position. This has been further compounded by economic constraints. The majority of African women do not receive adequate health care. National legislation directed toward breaking down discrimination against women, particularly in the areas of family law and employment practices, has achieved mixed results. The denial of women's rights to economic equality and independence furthermore incapacitates the development efforts of the majority of African women. Despite the evidence that Africa is fed by its women, neither national nor international agricultural resources are directed towards women. Notes, ref.
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