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influence and begins to map out societal changes. Nonetheless, how
they do this and with which hypothesised consequences is a question
that still warrants scientific inquiry.
It is with this question in mind that this paper tasks itself. The
point of departure is that society has several spheres of influence.
Without relegating the other spheres dismal positions, of importance
are the governance and economic spheres. For the purposes of the
issue at hand, the governance sphere takes centre stage. The main
line of questioning is: with the coming of age of a new generation,
especially young African women, to take up positions of influence at
the public domain and thereby contributing to governance issues of
the day, which new institutional forms are necessary? Importantly
which are the old institutional forms of legitimacy that act as structures
of exclusion and which need to be transformed to accommodate this
emerging category?
Forms of Social Exclusion
Cultural legitimacy – of marriage, motherhood and seniority
Analysis of predominant forms of African social structures abound [2] ..
For women, three institutions cut across and necessarily marked entry
into society and thereby accorded women access to entitlements and a
voice in society. These are institutions of cultural legitimacy that can be
broadly categorised as marriage, motherhood and seniority. However,
with the advent of the demographic transition several significant shifts,
which can be attributed to certain predetermining conditions, can be
witnessed. Population analysis show that, not only are we witnessing
a bulge in the category of single unmarried women or delayed marriages
(UNECA 2001: 32-38) at the socio-economic level we are also
witnessing an increase in young women who are engaged in both
the formal and the informal labour markets (Achieng’ 2004). Again,
studies in demography provide us with an interesting insight into the
163
YOUNG AFRICAN WOMEN
ENGAGE THE PUBLIC
SPHERE; PROSPECTS FOR
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY
INQUIRY?
Roseline M. Achieng
2
An up-to-date bibliographic reference on the social structures of the different communities
in Africa and who consider themselves African is availed by different paper
authors featured in the CODESRIA Bulletin, Special Issue: The African Woman, Nos.
1&2, 2006