London, UK — Routledge proudly announces the publication of Women in Africa, a groundbreaking and comprehensive new volume edited by renowned scholars Toyin Falola and Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso. Officially released as an eBook on May 22, 2025, this authoritative text marks a major contribution to African studies and global scholarship on gender.
With 572 pages of rigorously researched content, Women in Africa offers a sweeping, multidimensional exploration of the lives, struggles, contributions, and agency of African women across time, disciplines, and geographies. Structured in four parts and comprising 22 chapters, this first edition brings together voices from history, politics, culture, health, education, and social movements to offer an inclusive and transformative vision of African womanhood.
Scope and Structure
This book introduces readers to the rich and diverse experiences of women across the African continent, covering their socio-cultural, political, and economic realities from the precolonial era right up to the modern day.
In many precolonial African societies, women were empowered and considered to be important participants in the social structures and political systems that managed their communities, but during the colonial era, women were often marginalized. Now, across the continent, women are reasserting their agency. This book explores the various ways in which gender has been constructed in different African cultures across history and how this has impacted the lived experiences of women. The book encompasses a broad range of topics, including history, health, sexualities, gender-based violence, motherhood, education, economic activities, science and technology, religion, popular culture, politics, peacebuilding, feminism, literature, social media, and migration. Engaging and compelling, this book invites us to think again about the changing roles, identities, and contributions of African women across time and space.
It is the perfect introduction for any student of gender or African studies, as well as for anyone looking for a reader-friendly guide to the subject.
Part I: African Women in History revisits the roles of women from precolonial Africa through colonial rule, apartheid, and into contemporary times. It traces the evolution of African feminist thought and resistance.
Part II: Social Lives and Livelihoods dives into shifting conceptions of motherhood, marriage and polygamy, education, economics, science and technology, religion, and popular culture, emphasizing the diversity and dynamism of African women’s everyday lives.
Part III: Bodies and Being critically addresses issues of sexuality, health, sex work, and gender-based violence, highlighting embodied experiences and structural inequalities.
Part IV: Political and Social Agency analyzes African women’s participation in politics, conflict resolution, literature, migration, and social media, showcasing their transformative power in society.
About the Editors
- Toyin Falola is a distinguished historian, professor, and prolific author with expertise in African intellectual history and global studies.
- Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso is an accomplished political scientist and gender studies expert, widely recognized for her work on African women, conflict, and postcolonial governance.
Key Features
- Interdisciplinary insights spanning area studies, development, gender studies, health, education, literature, and politics
- Contributions grounded in both historical depth and contemporary relevance
- A vital resource for scholars, students, activists, and policymakers alike
About the Authors
Toyin Falola is the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. Falola has published over a hundred books and is the recipient of twenty honorary doctorates as well as several lifetime achievement awards.
Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso is Associate Professor of African and African American Studies at Brandeis University, USA and Vice-President of the International Studies Association (ISA, 2024-25). She is the co-editor of the three-volume Palgrave Handbook of African Women’s Studies (2021), and has published several other books on African women, gender, refugees, and knowledge production in Africa.
Product Details
- Title: Women in Africa
- Editors: Toyin Falola, Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso
- Publisher: Routledge
- Edition: 1st Edition
- eBook ISBN: 9781003221586
- Published: May 22, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003221586
- Pages: 572
