Black, Female, and Divorced: A Discourse Analysis of Wangarĩ Maathai’s Leadership with Reflections from Naleli Morojele‘s Study of Rwandan and South African Female Political Leaders

Abstract

Marriage and divorce are factors that impact female leadership in Africa. Women are defined by their roles as wives and mothers and less as leaders. There is a dearth of research on the influence of marriage and divorce on female leadership in Africa. Most studies have focused on the societal importance of marriage and the negative effects of divorce on families. Using Wangarĩ Maathai’s biography Unbowed, this paper explores the role of marriage and divorce and their intersection with Maathai’s leadership. To enrich the analysis, I introduce insights from Naleli Morojele’s study of Rwandan and South African female political leaders. African feminist thought, transformative leadership theory, and African concepts of marriage and divorce form the theoretical framework. The main findings indicate that Maathai’s leadership is transformative. African feminism recognizes the role of men in women’s equality. Female leadership has increased in Africa, though it contends with socio-cultural attitudes and colonial legacies that fuel its skepticism. Marriage is a duty and the focus of existence in African thought and divorce is synonymous with failure. Women’s disunity on gender issues is problematic. Female leadership is very demanding and costly to family relationships. These findings are important in identifying gaps between policy and social attitudes on female leadership in Africa.

Is sexual autonomy a protective factor against intimate partner violence? Evidence from 27 sub-Saharan African countries

“…Feminism is not and should not be considered as a declaration of war against men. Rather, it is a noble course to be championed by both men and women, in reflection of African feminism –which recognises the role of men in women’s equality [ 50 ].…”

“…This result enunciates the ripple effect of poverty on social health and overall wellbeing. Socio-economic frustrations among men and women could become effective triggers of IPV with concomitant negative outcomes on women [ 50 ], children [ 51 ] and even men themselves [ 52 ]. Thus, using the Sustainable Development Goals as launching pads, government and non-governmental institutions and stakeholders could weaponize poverty eradication as an effective strategy against IPV.…”