Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
Democracy Today.indb - Universidade do Minho
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
and how have they capitalised/should they capitalise on this in order<br />
to create further rooms for manoeuvre for themselves?<br />
B. Cooperation<br />
i. Strategic positioning – a paradigmatic shift from wrestling the<br />
phallus to exploring cooperation with pro-feminist men<br />
With certitude young African women cannot go it alone. There is need<br />
for cooperation at several fronts. These can be conceptualised as the<br />
formation of transformative alliances. A strategic positioning has to<br />
be envisaged whereby young women have to be aware of hegemonic<br />
masculine structures. Sadly, these are being perpetuated not only by<br />
men but more so by women themselves (see Tamale 1999 and Sall<br />
2000 for an analysis of such structures in the public sphere and in<br />
the academy respectively). In my opinion, a paradigmatic shift has<br />
to occur. This, I envisage as a shift from wrestling the phallus (which<br />
earlier generation feminists had embraced) to exploring opportunities<br />
of transformative alliances being offered by especially pro-feminist<br />
men and who are taking over positions of influence in the governance<br />
structures. Already some female networks – for example FEMNET [7]<br />
are working with ‘Men to Men’ agendas. Nevertheless, this cooperation<br />
and alliance <strong>do</strong>es not mean that women are not better placed to address<br />
structures that oppress them and bring about significant changes. It<br />
rather means the negotiation with men about changing structures<br />
that perpetuate inequalities. It is here that indeed power within has<br />
to be exercised. Thus, the communicative practice becomes of major<br />
importance. This means being aware of the secret codes of behaviour,<br />
the use of language and conduct that exhibits a certain kind of stance<br />
and that pushes forward a transformative agenda and which contributes<br />
to a positive change in governance and policy issues. Conceptually, it<br />
culminates to exercising women’s agency through appealing to social<br />
relations in a gendered manner.<br />
167<br />
YOUNG AFRICAN WOMEN<br />
ENGAGE THE PUBLIC<br />
SPHERE; PROSPECTS FOR<br />
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY<br />
INQUIRY?<br />
Roseline M. Achieng<br />
7<br />
FEMNET is the acronym of African Women’s Development and Communications<br />
Network