Josephine Ahikire is a Ugandan academic, researcher and African feminist. She is the professor, and the former Dean at the School of Women and Gender Studies, Makerere University. She served as the Principal at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University.
We are African women – we live here in Africa and even when we live elsewhere, our focus is on the lives of African women on the continent.
Defining the scope and commitment of African feminism, Ahikire explains that its central concern is improving the lives of women across the African continent.
We are Feminists. Full stop.
Writing in her essay "African feminism in context: Reflections on the legitimation battles, victories and reversals," Ahikire affirmed the legitimacy of African feminist identity and rejected attempts to qualify or dilute it.
Choosing to name ourselves feminists places us in a clear ideological position.
Explaining why African women publicly identify as feminists, she argued that naming oneself is a political act that clarifies commitment to gender justice.
By naming ourselves as feminists we politicise the struggle for women's rights.
In the same essay, Ahikire argued that embracing the feminist label strengthens efforts to challenge structures that perpetuate women's subordination.
We question the legitimacy of the structures that keep women subjugated.
Describing the role of African feminism, she emphasized challenging systems and institutions that sustain gender inequality.
We have multiple and varied identities as African feminists.
Reflecting on the diversity of African feminist experiences, Ahikire argued that a shared commitment to women's rights accommodates different identities and backgrounds.
There is a wave of resistance, seemingly subtle, that seems to be pushing back feminist gains that we need to be aware of.
Writing on International Women's Day, Ahikire warned that despite significant progress in women's rights, there was an emerging backlash threatening feminist gains in Uganda and beyond.
We recognise that the work of fighting for women's rights is deeply political, and the process of naming is political too.
From her essay on African feminism, explaining why publicly identifying as a feminist is itself a political act.
Our feminist identity is not qualified with 'ifs', 'buts' or 'howevers'. We are Feminists. Full stop.
Concluding her reflection on African feminism, she affirmed an unapologetic feminist identity rooted in African realities.
Gender studies comes into the intellectual space as a critique of dominant frameworks of knowledge that presented and reproduced the androcentric or male view of the world.
Writing on the development of gender studies in Africa, Ahikire explains that the discipline emerged to challenge male-centred frameworks of knowledge and broaden understanding of society.
The need for African realities to inform research and knowledge generation on gender relations on the continent.
From her article on feminist research methodology, she argues that research on gender in Africa should be grounded in African experiences rather than imported frameworks.
The critical need for debunking colonial discourses and developmentalist buzzwords in researching gender relations.
Explaining the purpose of feminist research methodology, Ahikire calls for questioning inherited colonial narratives and superficial development language in gender research.
