The Emancipation of Women: An African Perspective

The role of governance in girl‐child education: Insights on the odds against Nigerian women in leadership

“…The author states that such policy could be in form of the encouragement of individual participation; changing the pattern of the provision of education by institutions; and changing the broader social and economic perspectives or conditions that influence participation and determine success. Given that all forms of inequalities in the society are somewhat related with Antonio Gramsci's theory of hegemony 4 (Dolphyne, 1991), governance must consider the fact that women are the object of discriminatory social and economic elements to address the question of gender inequalities as an intrinsic element of sustainable development goals. Hence, the nature and state of governance is a critical determinant of how male and female enroll in basic education.…”

The Tensions between Culture and Human Rights

“…Although it is prescribed for both widows and widowers, the latter goes through less harsh rituals than the former. Widowhood rites are found in every community in Africa, and the harsh treatment meted out to widows emanates from the husband's family, tradition, and the society as a whole (Dolphyne, 2005;Limann, 2003). The nature and duration of the rites differ from one traditional society to another, due to the specific common beliefs of each group, cause of death, and the age and number of children of the widow at the time of her husband's death .…”

“…A common characteristic of these practices is that they are linked to women's sexuality and are often enforced as a way to keep women in subordinate roles. In African culture, women have always taken a subordinate role to men (Dolphyne, 2005). Through the socialization process, males view themselves as breadwinners and heads of households while females are socialized to be obedient and submissive.…”

“…This practice is to ensure that a widow and her children continue to be supported by the deceased man's estate and family. A widow who refuses to marry her brother-in-law may forfeit her late husband's land and other properties and may have to return her bride price (Dolphyne, 2005; International Fund for Agricultural Development [IFAD], 1998; Korang-Okrah & Haight, 2014;Perry et al, 2014;). According to the authors just cited, some of the harsh treatments meted out to widows in Ghana are gradually disappearing.…”