Advancing the Recognition of Women in African Philosophy

Abstract

In this article, I examine the marginalisation of women, specifically in African philosophy, with the aim of cautioning and inspiring a reconfiguration of African philosophy that takes seriously the discourse of gender as it does the discourse of race. I employ Charles Taylor's notion of recognition to understand some of the effects of a lack of recognition, which I then extend to the lack of recognition of women in African philosophy. I present this understanding against the background of the ongoing debates and efforts of decolonisation by illustrating how the marginalisation of women in African philosophy places the discipline at odds with decolonisation and its emancipatory objective. African philosophy, in the process of legitimising its existence, has adopted a male-centred framework which has not only undermined the existence of women but also failed to recognise their contributions. This has influenced the practice and discourse of African philosophy, resulting in the underrepresentation of women therein.