Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash. Original black and white negative by Warren K. Leffler

Feminism(s) | Part V: Black and African Feminisms

An Introduction

WITH SHEENA ANDERSON AND WADZANAI MOTSI-KHATAI

29th April, 7-8:30 pm

In February 2021, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the first African woman to head the World Trade Organization. She joins a long list of Black and African women with diverse socio-economic and political biographies who gained influence in international relations in recent years. They are establishing their voices in political institutions and global social movements such as EndSARS (Nigeria), SayHerName (USA), or EleNão (Brazil). Thus, hegemonic power structures are being challenged, and feminist concepts are gaining prominence in international discourses. Historically, women’s movements on the African continent played an essential role in the global struggle against gender inequality, colonial rule, and exploitation.

African and Black feminisms are diverse and develop their concepts centering Black and African women’s experiences. To explore this diversity, we are organizing the series ‚Black and African Feminism(s)‘, in which we invite Black feminists in Africa, in the diaspora and in Germany to join the conversation and share their feminist perspectives.

In the first introductory event we want to discuss: How might Black and African feminisms differ and complement each other, and what is their relation to other global feminist movements? How does the history, present, and future of Black and African feminisms relate to international politics? What can we learn from Black and African feminisms at the individual, community, and institutional levels for political practice and thought?

We are delighted to discuss these questions with Sheena Anderson and Wadzanai Motsi-Khatai.

Sheena Anderson holds a Master’s degree on Peace Research & International Politics from Tübingen University and has years of experience in political education and as an anti-bias trainer. Among others, Sheena works on black and intersectional feminist perspectives, racial and climate justice, SGBV in and after conflict and prevention of right-wing extremism. She is currently a fellow in the Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs.

Wadzanai Motsi-Khatai holds an executive Master in Public Administration from the Hertie School in Berlin and works as a programme Manager at the Berlin-based Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ). In the past, Wadzanai worked with government agencies, international non-profit organisations, as well as community organisations in Southern and Western Africa, Europe and South East Asia.

This event is organized by Polis180’s program Gender and International Politics. It is part of our event series Feminism(s) that takes a look at feminist movements, ideas and actors around the world.