Charter of Feminist Principles
PREAMBLE
NAMING OURSELVES AS FEMINISTS
We define and name ourselves publicly as Feminists because we celebrate
our feminist identities and politics. We recognize that the work of fighting
for women’s rights is deeply political, and the process of naming is political
too. Choosing to name ourselves Feminist places us in a clear ideological
position. By naming ourselves as Feminists we politicize the struggle for
women’s rights, we question the legitimacy of the structures that keep women
subjugated, and we develop tools for transformatory analysis and action.
We have multiple and varied identities as African Feminists. 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. Our feminist identity is not
qualified with `Ifs`, `Buts’, or `Howevers’. We are Feminists. Full stop.
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF FEMINISM AND PATRIARCHY
We are committed to an understanding of Feminism that places Patriarchy
at the centre of our analysis. Patriarchy is a system of male authority which
legitimizes the oppression of women through political, social, cultural
and religious institutions. Men’s access to, and control over resources
and rewards within the private and public sphere derives its legitimacy
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from the patriarchal ideology of male dominance. Patriarchy varies in time and
space, meaning that it changes over time, and varies according to class, race,
ethnic, religious and global imperial relationships and structures. Furthermore, in
the current conjunctures, patriarchy does not simply change according to these
factors, but is inter-related with and informs relationships of class, race, ethnic,
religious, and global-imperialism. Thus challenging patriarchy effectively also
requires challenging other systems of oppression and exploitation, which often
mutually support each other.
Our understanding of Patriarchy is crucial because it provides for us as Feminists,
a framework within which to express the totality of