DOCSLIB.ORG

Female Leaders in South Benin

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Female Leaders in South Benin Preface â MASTER THESIS zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Master of Arts (M.A.) Anna Stepper Geboren am 03.06.1990 in Neumarkt i.d.Opf. Matrikelnummer: 768720 FEMALE LEADERS IN Erstgutachterin: Dr. Talia Vela-Eiden Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Walter Eberlei SOUTH BENIN - Eingereicht am: 15.07.2020 (Un)Doing Gender: Opportunities and MA Empowerment Studies Challenges along their Biographies Sommersemester 2020 Content List of abbreviations ................................................................................................................ iii 1. Introduction...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Research question ............................................................................................................. 3 1.2. Structure of the present work ........................................................................................... 4 2. Contextualizing the field of research .................................................................................. 5 2.1. Benin – General information ............................................................................................. 5 2.2. Politics in Benin - A brief overview .................................................................................... 6 2.3. Women in Benin ................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.1. Women in Benin’s history – “herstories”................................................................. 10 2.3.2. Women in today’s Benin .......................................................................................... 12 2.3.3. The legal framework – women’s rights in Benin ...................................................... 17 3. The theoretical embedding.............................................................................................. 20 3.1. Clarification of terms ....................................................................................................... 20 3.2. Socialisation of gender in Benin ...................................................................................... 24 3.3. African Feminism(s) ......................................................................................................... 26 3.3.1. “The invention of women” ...................................................................................... 26 3.3.2. Intersectionality ....................................................................................................... 27 3.3.3. The history of African Feminism(s) .......................................................................... 28 3.3.4. Contemporary African Feminism ............................................................................. 34 3.4. African Feminism and Human Rights ............................................................................... 36 4. Empirical Analysis ........................................................................................................... 42 4.1. Research Design .............................................................................................................. 42 4.1.1. Qualitative Sampling ................................................................................................ 43 4.1.2. Transcription and method of analysis ...................................................................... 43 4.2. Field study and participatory observation ....................................................................... 44 4.3. The interviewees ............................................................................................................. 45 4.4. Opportunities and challenges as a woman - from the perspective of Beninese female leaders ............................................................................................................................... 47 4.4.1. Experienced opportunities ...................................................................................... 47 4.4.2. Experienced challenges ........................................................................................... 54 4.4.3. Individual gender socialisation ................................................................................ 55 4.5. Reflections on my role as a researcher ............................................................................ 67 5. Interpretation and research findings................................................................................ 69 5.1. Gender inequality and strategies to tackle them............................................................. 69 i 5.2. “It’s not that I’m a feminist” and female solidarity.......................................................... 75 5.3. The mediatory position from the perspective of the interviewees ................................. 77 6. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 79 7. Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 81 Further literature ............................................................................................................................ 90 List of figures ................................................................................................................................... 91 List of empirical data ....................................................................................................................... 91 8. Appendix ........................................................................................................................... I 8.1. Figures ................................................................................................................................ I 8.2. Interview guideline ...........................................................................................................IV ii List of abbreviations AU African Union BMZ Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung BTI Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI) CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women CSO Civil Society Organizations DSW Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung GDI Gender Development Index GDII Gender Inequality Index GFM Genital Female Mutilation GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GNP Gross National Product HDI Human Development Index IHDI Inequality Human Development Index IIAG Ibrahim Index of African Governance INSAE Institut National de la Statistique et de l'Analyse Economique LGBTQI Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer and Intersex NGO Nongovernmental Organization OHCHR Office of the High Commissionner for Human Rights SAP Structural Adaption Programme SDG Sustainable Development Goal SEAH Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa WEF World Economic Forum iii WiLDAF Women in Law and Development in Africa iv 1. Introduction “My project is not to entertain readers with one more exotic tale or shock them with another astounding revelation about womanhood in a faraway place. All I wish to do is communicate in intelligible terms another mode of being female. But this is more easily said than done.” (Lazreg 1994) According to Stiftung Weltbevölkerung, the number of women currently living on the globe meets more or less the number of men. 3,82 billion women and 3,89 billion men were inhabiting our planet in 2019 (ibid. 2019, 7,7 billion in July 2019).1 Consequently, when it comes to the great challenges of humanity such as climate protection, women are playing and are going to play a crucial role. Their participation is increasing in many places, but gender gaps are also persisting and are often significant in fields such as decision making, access to (higher) education and unpaid care work (WEF 2019). The global and regional efforts in order to achieve the Agenda 20302 (UN 2015) or the Agenda 20633 as well as the climate goals4 (Paris Agreement) as crucial milestones need to move together with paradigm shifts, including paradigm shifts towards increasing gender equality. Clearly, these challenges cannot be solved without the large contribution, and thus a process of empowerment, of women (BMZ 2017, 2). What is needed, is empowerment of women and equal access as well as equal opportunities for both women and men. Especially at the level of decision-making, women are worldwide underrepresented. Simultaneously, creating equal access for women does not draw on quotas only but must be accompanied with an increasing share of unpaid care work at home as well as models of reconciliation of both, the private and the professional life. 1 In 2050 9,7 billion people will live on this planet. The word population is growing by 225,690 people in a day (DSW 2019b). 2 The Agenda 2030, as one of the currently most important guiding frameworks of the international community and cooperation will only by mentioned in the margins of this work due to a necessity of thematic limitation. Nevertheless, it represents a huge lever regarding gender mainstreaming and also financing as well as joint efforts in order to increase gender equality worldwide. Gender Equality represents both a unique Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) as well as a crosscutting objective which is furthermore particularly emphasised within SDG 1,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Externalisation of Borders
    EXTERNALISATION OF BORDERS February 25th and 26th, 2020 LAGOS (Nigeria) The phenomenon of re-trafficking of women repatriated in Nigeria by Kokunre A. Eghafona* Introduction Trafficking in Persons (TIP) or Human trafficking (HT) is regarded as a modern form of slavery (UN, 2001). Human trafficking is one of the most egregious human rights violations (Annan, 2001) and violations of human rights are seen to be the cause and consequence of trafficking in persons (UN, 2014). Since 2000, soon after a global treaty to combat HT was adopted, the term modern slavery is now the catch-all term to describe human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, sex trafficking, forced marriage and other slave-like exploitation. Human traffickers are said to be motivated by greed, driven by quota, devoid of respect for human rights, preying upon the vulnerable, and damaging the psychological and physical well-being of their victims (Toney-Butler & Mittel, 2019:1). Human Trafficking (HT), especially in women and girls, is the most visible of the categories of modern slavery in Nigeria because of its international dimension. Nigeria has remained a source, transit and destination country for women and children in human trafficking for forced labour and sex trafficking (Okojie et al, 2003; Maicibi 2008; US TIP Report 2019). Although women, men and children may all be trafficked for various purposes, trafficking is often a ‘gendered’ crime. Available evidence suggests that those who are trafficked into the sex industry and as domestic servants are more likely to be women and children (USDOS: 2011; WHO 2012). According to Annan (2001), HT thrives on discrimination against women, especially the increasing “feminization of poverty” and it is driven by organised gangs of traffickers, who ruthlessly exploit their victims for the easy profit they hope to gain.
    [Show full text]
  • Vol. 24 - Benin
    Marubeni Research Institute 2016/09/02 Sub -Saharan Report Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the focal regions of Global Challenge 2015. These reports are by Mr. Kenshi Tsunemine, an expatriate employee working in Johannesburg with a view across the region. Vol. 24 - Benin August 10, 2016 Even without knowing where the location of the country of Benin is, many Japanese may remember Zomahoun Rufin, better known as “Zomahon”, as an African who became famous as a “TV personality” on the Japanese television show “Hey Japanese People, This is Strange” for the interesting way he spoke Japanese. “Oh, you say Zomahon is from Benin? And he is now the Benin ambassador to Japan (note 1)?” as many Japanese are and would be surprised to hear. Through him though, many have in some way a feeling for the country, which you may have guessed is the country I am introducing this time, Benin. Table 1: Benin Country Information Benin is located in West Africa bordered by Togo in the west, Burkina Faso in the northwest, Niger in the northeast and Nigeria in the east while facing the Bay of Guinea in the south. The constitutional capital of the country is Porto Novo, however, the political and economic center of the country is found in it largest city Cotonou, which also boasts the country’s only international airport (picture 1). Picture 1: A street with vendors in town near the border with Togo 1 8/10//2016 Benin is only 120 kilometers from east to west, while being 700 kilometers in length from north to south being a narrow, elongated country like Togo which I introduced last time.
    [Show full text]
  • Female Genital Cutting
    DHS Comparative Reports 7 Female Genital Cutting in the Demographic and Health Surveys: A Critical and Comparative Analysis MEASURE DHS+ assists countries worldwide in the collection and use of data to monitor and evaluate population, health, and nutrition programs. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), MEASURE DHS+ is implemented by ORC Macro in Calverton, Maryland. The main objectives of the MEASURE DHS+ project are: 1) to provide decisionmakers in survey countries with information useful for informed policy choices, 2) to expand the international population and health database, 3) to advance survey methodology, and 4) to develop in participating countries the skills and resources necessary to conduct high-quality demographic and health surveys. Information about the MEASURE DHS+ project or the status of MEASURE DHS+ surveys is available on the Internet at http://www.measuredhs.com or by contacting: ORC Macro 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300 Calverton, MD 20705 USA Telephone: 301-572-0200 Fax: 301-572-0999 E-mail: [email protected] DHS Comparative Reports No. 7 Female Genital Cutting in the Demographic and Health Surveys: A Critical and Comparative Analysis P. Stanley Yoder Noureddine Abderrahim Arlinda Zhuzhuni ORC Macro Calverton, Maryland, USA September 2004 This publication was made possible through support provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development under the terms of Contract No. HRN-C-00-97-00019- 00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Editor: Sidney Moore Series design: Katherine Senzee Document production: Justine Faulkenburg Recommended citation: Yoder, P.
    [Show full text]
  • « Palais Royaux D'abomey » (Benin)
    « PALAIS ROYAUX D’ABOMEY » (BENIN) RAPPORT MISSION CONJOINTE DE SUIVI REACTIF CENTRE DU PATRIMOINE MONDIAL/ICOMOS/ICCROM DU 18 AU 22 AVRIL 2016 Sommaire REMERCIEMENTS .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Résumé et recommandations .......................................................................................................................... 5 I. ANTECEDENTS DE LA MISSION .................................................................................................................. 9 1.1. Historique ...................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2. Critère d’inscription sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial .......................................................... 10 1.3. Menaces pesant sur l’authenticité, soulevées dans le rapport d’évaluation de l’ICOMOS au moment de l’inscription .............................................................................................................. 12 1.4. Retrait du bien de la Liste du patrimoine mondial en péril ....................................................... 13 1.5. Examen de l’état de conservation par le Comité du patrimoine mondial ................................ 14 1.6. Justification de la mission ........................................................................................................... 15 1.7. Composition de la mission .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The House of Oduduwa: an Archaeological Study of Economy and Kingship in the Savè Hills of West Africa
    The House of Oduduwa: An Archaeological Study of Economy and Kingship in the Savè Hills of West Africa by Andrew W. Gurstelle A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology) in the University of Michigan 2015 Doctoral Committee: Professor Carla M. Sinopoli, Chair Professor Joyce Marcus Professor Raymond A. Silverman Professor Henry T. Wright © Andrew W. Gurstelle 2015 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I must first and foremost acknowledge the people of the Savè hills that contributed their time, knowledge, and energies. Completing this dissertation would not have been possible without their support. In particular, I wish to thank Ọba Adétùtú Onishabe, Oyedekpo II Ọla- Amùṣù, and the many balè,̣ balé, and balọdè ̣that welcomed us to their communities and facilitated our research. I also thank the many land owners that allowed us access to archaeological sites, and the farmers, herders, hunters, fishers, traders, and historians that spoke with us and answered our questions about the Savè hills landscape and the past. This dissertion was truly an effort of the entire community. It is difficult to express the depth of my gratitude for my Béninese collaborators. Simon Agani was with me every step of the way. His passion for Shabe history inspired me, and I am happy to have provided the research support for him to finish his research. Nestor Labiyi provided support during crucial periods of excavation. As with Simon, I am very happy that our research interests complemented and reinforced one another’s. Working with Travis Williams provided a fresh perspective on field methods and strategies when it was needed most.
    [Show full text]
  • Dahomey Half a Century Ago by Geoffrey Parrinder
    DAHOMEY HALF A CENTURY AGO BY GEOFFREY PARRINDER (Fellow of King's College, University of London) It is forty years since my first book, West African Religion, was published in 1949, though I had arrived at Porto Novo in Dahomey sixteen years earlier. The editor has asked me to sketch something of the background to the book, which I shall try to do without too much use of the personal pronoun. In those mid-colonial days communications between West African territories under British and French rule were not easy, and there were suspicions of political manoeuvres on both sides. France and Britain had carved out colonies like slices in a cake, often tak- ing rivers as frontiers though they were natural means of access. British visitors to Dahomey often took Elder Dempster passenger ships to Lagos and then there was the problem of getting through to Porto Novo on the French side. There were no railways along the inter-colonial coastline, but only northwards into the interior of each country. There were no lateral roads, and the construction of international highways had to await the coming of the allied armies after the landings in north and west Africa during the Second World War. Air services were almost unheard of. There were a few paths through forest and swamp, but they were not suitable for motor traffic. The principal route was by launch (petrolette) along the creeks or lagoons. This launch service between the British and French colonies was run by Germans, the Woermann Line of Hamburg. In their Lagos office in 1933 there was already a picture of Adolf Hitler on the wall, either from conviction or prudence, since he had just come to power in Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • Initiatives in Justice Reform 1992-2012
    Initiatives in Justice Reform 1992-2012 Public Disclosure Authorized Initiatives in Justice Reform 1992-2012 THE WORLD BANK 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20043 USA Telephone: 202 477-1234 Facsimile: 202 477-6391 Internet: www.worldbank.org/lji E-mail: [email protected] Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized © 2012 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / International Development Association or The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org Disclaimer The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views ofThe World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. Because The World Bank encourages dissemination of its knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposes as long as full attribution to the work is given. For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, Internet: www.copyright.com. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, Email: [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Country Coding Units
    INSTITUTE Country Coding Units v11.1 - March 2021 Copyright © University of Gothenburg, V-Dem Institute All rights reserved Suggested citation: Coppedge, Michael, John Gerring, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Staffan I. Lindberg, Jan Teorell, and Lisa Gastaldi. 2021. ”V-Dem Country Coding Units v11.1” Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project. Funders: We are very grateful for our funders’ support over the years, which has made this ven- ture possible. To learn more about our funders, please visit: https://www.v-dem.net/en/about/ funders/ For questions: [email protected] 1 Contents Suggested citation: . .1 1 Notes 7 1.1 ”Country” . .7 2 Africa 9 2.1 Central Africa . .9 2.1.1 Cameroon (108) . .9 2.1.2 Central African Republic (71) . .9 2.1.3 Chad (109) . .9 2.1.4 Democratic Republic of the Congo (111) . .9 2.1.5 Equatorial Guinea (160) . .9 2.1.6 Gabon (116) . .9 2.1.7 Republic of the Congo (112) . 10 2.1.8 Sao Tome and Principe (196) . 10 2.2 East/Horn of Africa . 10 2.2.1 Burundi (69) . 10 2.2.2 Comoros (153) . 10 2.2.3 Djibouti (113) . 10 2.2.4 Eritrea (115) . 10 2.2.5 Ethiopia (38) . 10 2.2.6 Kenya (40) . 11 2.2.7 Malawi (87) . 11 2.2.8 Mauritius (180) . 11 2.2.9 Rwanda (129) . 11 2.2.10 Seychelles (199) . 11 2.2.11 Somalia (130) . 11 2.2.12 Somaliland (139) . 11 2.2.13 South Sudan (32) . 11 2.2.14 Sudan (33) .
    [Show full text]
  • Gains and Gaps: Perceptions and Experiences of Gender In
    Gains and gaps Perceptions and experiences of gender in Africa By Carmen Alpin Lardies, Dominique Dryding, and Carolyn Logan Afrobarometer Policy Paper No. 61 | November 2019 Introduction Gender equality is a focal point as well as a cross-cutting principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2019). Designated as Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 5 in its own right, it is targeted in many of the other SDGs as well, underlining the agenda’s clear statement that development can only succeed if its benefits are enjoyed equally by women and men. The agenda calls for equality in women’s access to education and health care, in ownership and control over resources, and in women’s engagement with new information and communications technologies (ICTs). Advocates can trace both the distance traveled and the long road ahead to achieve gender-equality commitments under the SDGs in Africa. Women’s education and work opportunities, decision-making power in the household, and Internet access have all increased, but gains are often modest and inconsistent across countries, and do not always succeed in closing gender gaps. With regard to labour-force participation, for example, African women’s gains between 1990 and 2018 reduced the gender gap by 6 percentage points – but still left an 18-point disadvantage compared to men (ILOSTAT, 2019). A World Bank (2019) review of “a decade of reform” of legal rights affecting women’s prospects as entrepreneurs and employees cited sub-Saharan Africa as one of the most improved regions, but still found that its countries give women fewer than half the legal rights they afford men.
    [Show full text]
  • Miszelle Warrior-Women of Dahomey
    Miszelle Martin van Creveld Warrior-Women of Dahomey Ever since America's armed forces were put on a volunteer basis in 1971-72, the bar- riers which traditionally kept women out of the military have been crumbling. In January 2000 the European Court in its wisdom ruled that the Bundeswehr's pol- icy of keeping out women was against European law; thus probably hastening the end of conscription in Germany and certainly making sure that the subject will continue to be debated for years to come. In this broad context, the warrior women of Dahomey are interesting on two counts. First, they are sometimes regarded as living proof that women can fight and have fought. Second, some radical feminists have pointed to the Dahomean she-fighters as a model of prowess; one which oth- er women, struggling to liberate themselves from the yoke of »patriarchy«, should do well to take as their model. On the other hand, it is this author's experience that when most people, femi- nists and miUtary historians included, are asked to explain what they know about the warrior-women in question they respond with an embarrassed silence. Ac- cordingly, my purpose is to use the available sources - all of them European, and some quite fanciful - in order to provide a brief survey of the facts. Those who want to use those facts either for arguing that women can and should participate in combat or for wider feminist purposes, welcome. This Story opens towards the end of the sixteenth Century, a period when Euro- peans traveUing to other continents competed with each other as to who could bring back the strängest and most fanciful tales.
    [Show full text]
  • THE EXPLOITATION of ADOLESCENT GIRLS and YOUNG WOMEN in MODERN SLAVERY: EVIDENCE for ACTION Introduction
    THE EXPLOITATION OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN MODERN SLAVERY: EVIDENCE FOR ACTION Introduction The Call to Action to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, SDG 8.7 launched at the 72nd meeting of the Take immediate and effective UN General Assembly, urges countries measures to eradicate forced labour, to publish national strategies to end modern slavery and human end modern slavery and calls for trafficking and secure the prohibition international cooperation “to reduce the and elimination of the worst forms of drivers of forced labour … and to protect child labour, including recruitment and the most vulnerable”. use of child solders, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms. Of the 40-45 million people affected by forced labour and forced marriage globally, 71 per cent are women and girls1. In 2016, This briefing offers a wider overview of these an estimated four million adults and one three countries, followed by an early look million children were sexually exploited at the available IOM data from each, and for commercial gain; of these, 99 per some first findings. It highlights poverty, cent were identified as female2. Age- and discrimination, gender-based violence and gender-sensitive responses are needed family pressures as drivers that push women to address the disproportionate impact of and girls to seek opportunities away from modern slavery on adolescent girls and home. It emphasises challenges for women young women, but the evidence base in and girls, who frequently lack autonomy this area remains limited. to decide on the type of work they will undertake, their destination, contract In September 2017 Plan International UK or mode of travel, and therefore rely on commissioned new research aimed at recruiters and employers, leaving them improving understanding of the exploitation vulnerable to exploitation.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender, Development, and Marriage
    Gender, Development, and Marriage by Caroh'ne Sweetman i Oxfam Focus on Gender The books in Oxf am's Focus on Gender series were originally published as single issues of the journal Gender and Development, which is published by Oxfam three times a year. It is the only European journal to focus specifically on gender and development issues internationally, to explore the links between gender and development initiatives, and to make the links between theoretical and practical work in this field. For information about subscription rates, please apply to Taylor and Francis Ltd., Customer Services Department, Rankine Road, Basingstoke, Hants RG24 8PR UK; Fax: + 44 (0) 1256 330245. In North America, please apply to Taylor and Francis Inc., Customer Services Department, 325 Chestnut Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA; Fax +1 800 821 8312. In Australia, please apply to Carfax Publishing Company, P.O. Box 352, Cammeray, NSW 2062, Australia; Fax: +61 (0) 2 9958 2376 [email protected] www.tandf.co.uk /journals All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the Publisher. The views expressed in this book are those of the individual contributors, and not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Front cover: Berta, a science teacher in Angola, with her husband Sebastiao, a head teacher, and their new-born child Photo: Crispin Hughes/Panos © Oxfam GB 2003 Published by Oxfam GB, 274 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7DZ, UK www.oxfam.org.uk / publications Typeset in Palatino by Oxfam; printed by Information Press, Eynsham Oxfam is a registered charity No.
    [Show full text]