Gender-biased Street Naming in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: Influential Factors, Features and Future Recommendations

Abstract

This article explores the present-day problematic of gender-biased street names as prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa’s cityscapes. That is, the abundance of masculine street names as opposed to feminine ones in the urban environments of this region. The article first provides a comparative view on the scope of this toponymic phenomenon in other geographic regions with relation to sub-Saharan Africa. It also identifies few decisive factors in the creation of the gender-biased urban landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa. These factors consist of: recent tendencies in critical toponymy studies; colonial and post-colonial cultures of governmentality; and inadequate urban planning legislation and vision as pertained by post-colonial states. This toponymic problematic is then exemplified in a site-specific analysis of the city of Bindura in north-eastern Zimbabwe. The article concludes with recommendations for designing a more socially inclusive urban management policy in the region, pointing to future research directions of this under-studied phenomenon in critical place-name studies.

Neotoponymy, Appropriation of Space and Youth Political Expression in Tokombéré, Northern Cameroon (1970–2011)

“…As a result of increasing urbanization and various population’s migratory movements in the early 1970s, some neighbourhoods bear the name of the first inhabitant, such as Talla Nduel, Talla Laki or Talla Kayamgali in Makinlingaï , Mada and Palbara cantons. It should be noted that the totality of these names includes variable of masculinization, thus confirming both the patriarchal nature of endogenous mountain societies and, above all, the fact that women do not own the land (Hallaire, 1991: 41; Njoh et al, 2017; Zuvalinyenga and Bigon, 2020: 6). In addition, one can note the inclusion of local natural landscape elements, such as Gavaliam and Ourem neighbourhoods.…”

Análisis de género en el distrito centro de la ciudad de Málaga. Avanzando a una odonimia feminista.

“…En estudios toponímicos recientes, según los cuales más allá de la finalidad de la toponimia como acto administrativo destinado a facilitar la orientación espacial, también hay tener en cuenta aspectos sociopolíticos de su producción. Las placas de las calles pueden constituir parte de una estrategia política altamente comprometida que opera para la construcción simbólica del espacio público (Zuvalinyenga & Bigon, 2020).…”

Feminine names in current Romanian hodonymy

“…331-350), "Commemorative Urban Practices and Gender Equality: The Case of Santiago de Compostela's Urban Anthroponymy" (Novas Ferradás, 2018, pp. 109-129), "Gender-Biased Street Naming in Urban Sub-Saharan Africa: Influential Factors, Features and Future Recommendations" (Zuvalinyenga, Bigon, 2020), Feminine urbanonymy in Polish and Italian linguistic landscapes" (Gałkowski, 2020, pp. 2-53).…”