A situated, African understanding of African feminism for men: a Ghanaian narrative

Abstract

Feminism provides a key analytical space for theory-build ing and re-centring historically marginalised narratives and epistemologies. However, the preponderance of women in feminist scholarship has been construed by some as mean ing that feminism excludes the interest of men. Situated within a critical discourse analysis and drawing on inter views with men and key informant interviews with women, this essay investigates people’s attitudes towards feminism in Ghana (with the concomitant discourses around what is African and what is Western). Feminism was largely per ceived by most men and women as a dangerously feminis ing and Western construct, capable of destabilising the cultural exceptionalism of Ghanaian society. However, a few men appear to have embodied ‘progressive’ thinking about feminism and alternative constructions of masculin ity. For such participants, embracing feminism comes at no cost to men and their manhood. They admit that men have benefited from a patriarchal system, which comes with opportunities and privileges; hence, the struggle for a better and gender equitable society continues. They pro pose the use and adoption of feminism as an important tool to precipitate shifts in how men approach both their relationships with women, and their own mascu line identitie