Women's movement: a comparative study of Nigerian and South African women in the liberation movement, 1914-1994.

Abstract

The subject of women’s liberation movements has undoubtedly evoked intense debates among scholars, researchers, politicians, women political activists, feminists, and proponents of women’s liberation across the globe from the colonial to the post-colonial era. Though women’s role in the struggle for liberation in Africa no doubt occupies considerable time and space in history, there is little historical documentation as compared to the menfolk. Nigeria and South Africa share similar trajectories of colonial oppression and resistance. In both countries, women played pivotal roles in the liberation movement. The key aim of this study is to compare the roles of Nigerian and South African women in the liberation movements as there is a paucity of comparative study in the existing literature. This study focuses on three issues: the motives for women’s participation; nature of women’s’ protests and the experiences of women as political prisoners. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology using a historical approach that combines oral interviews and archival sources. It is framed within post-colonial, intersectionality, and resistance theories seeking to shift women’s voices from the margins to the centre in liberation narratives. The thesis contributes a deeper insight into the trials and tribulations of women’s participation in the liberation movements. A comparative study of South Africa and Nigeria highlightscommonalities and differences into factors that shaped and defined women’s resistance on the African continent.