Report on the conference (6-7 June 2024)

As African countries became independent, being represented in state institutions was a political goal for many women, but undoing the legacy of colonial politics and gaining public visibility in the political field was no easy task. Despite serious difficulties and challenges, women vied for offices, campaigned, talked and wrote about politics, voted, and expressed their ideas within various institutions (organizations, political party, unions, local and national assemblies…). They were strategic actors in the processes of postcolonial state building.

Yet, their history has remained confined to a separate section of African politics, the “women’s section” while African political history has long been dominated by male actors. All in all, the history of African women in politics has been primarily written from the perspective of grassroots politics and women’s role in social and economic development projects.

A new wave of scholarship has recently begun to address this discrepancy in the historiography, with scholars exploring the ways women have challenged established political orders “from the top”. Building on this new trend, this conference aimed to retrieve histories of African women’s contribution to the postcolonial politics of state building, and to retrieve narratives, concepts and sources to acknowledge African women’s complex modes of political imagination, action, and languages.

Conference organizer: Dr. Anais Angelo

On 6th and 7th July 2024, we met in Vienna to discuss our research projects, share perspectives, advices and ideas. The idea was not just to share ideas between us but to make knowledge available to a broader audience.

Below you’ll find 3 short videos that will tell you (1) why African women’s political history matters, (2) what some of us are currently working on and (3) which book you can read to know more about the field. Share the links widely!

Video #1: What African women’s political history matter