Women in acadamia: Gender and acadamic freedom in Africa

The struggle for gender equality within academic life continues to meet strong resistance all around the world. African campuses are no exception. In the one area where women should be able to command respect and equality, the day-to-day reality of female academics is one of antagonism, difficulty and even physical and mental harassment. Academic freedom in Africa has attracted much recent attention. But few examination of the subject have incorporate a gender analysis. Drawing on the experiences of women from Cameroon, Egypt, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, this ground breaking examines in detail the realities of academic life. Choice in curricula, underfunding, promotion, relations with other staff and pay conditions are just a few of the critical issues explored. Women in Academia reveals the true relations of power, resources and personalities among men and women and academia. It is also unique. Written entirely by African authors, the analyses in this collection encapsulate how culture and politics in contemporary African society delimit the boundaries of academia. It argues that the dialectical relationship between gender, class, colonialism and decolonization is vital for any analysis of gender in African acadamia. This understanding will have a positive impact on research and development on the continent.