Transatlantic Feminisms: Women and Gender Studies in Africa and the Diaspora

Transatlantic Feminisms is an interdisciplinary collection of original feminist research on women’s lives in Africa and the African diaspora. Demonstrating the power and value of transcontinental connections and exchanges between feminist thinkers, this unique collection of fifteen essays addresses the need for global perspectives on gender, ethnicity, race and class. Examining diverse topics and questions in contemporary feminist research, the authors describe and analyze women’s lives in a host of vibrant, compelling locations. There are essays exploring women’s political activism in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Santo Domingo, Jamaica and Tanzania. Other essays explore representation and creativity in Brazil, Nigeria, and Miami. While one essay examines African women as conflicted immigrants in France, another recounts the experiences of Haitian women trying to survive in the Dominican Republic. Core themes of the book include the evolution of black feminism; black feminist political leadership; the politics of identity and representation; and struggles for agency and survival. These themes are interwoven throughout the volume and illuminate different geographic and cultural experiences, yet very similar oppressive forces and forms of resistance.

About the Author

Cheryl Rodriguez is chair of the Department of Africana Studies and director of the Institute on Black Life at the University of South Florida. Dzodzi Tsikata is associate professor at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana. Akosua Adomako Ampofo is professor of African and gender studies and director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana.