UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

DEPARTMENT OF INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN AND DIASPORA STUDIES

" My Positionality Influence on the perspectives of Feminism and Gender?"

NAME

AJALA, OLUWADAMILARE KABIRU

MATRIC NO

170308001

DEPARTMENT

INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN & DIASPORA STUDIES

COURSE CODE

AFS 843

COURSE TITLE

Gender, Development and Power in African Society

LECTURER

PROF. K. EESUOLA

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Introduction

The address on feminism and gender has evolved significantly, shaped by the diverse experiences and

identities of individuals within society. The positionality of the two different sex, women and men plays a

significant role in shaping how feminism and gender are perceived, experienced, and theorized.

Positionality refers to how one's identity (e.g., sex, gender, race, class) influences their social location,

worldview, and power dynamics within society. Men’s (single, married or divorced) positionality,

typically associated with systemic privilege and dominance in many societies, influences how gender and

feminism are understood and challenged.

My experience as a married man and someone who once studied a course on feminism and gender has

profoundly affected how I see the reason for feminism establishment and development, how it is received,

and interpreted, and how gender is understood as a social construct.

My Position on Feminism

Being said earlier, men often occupy positions of systemic privilege in patriarchal contexts. This

privileged positionality can result in a lack of awareness of gendered inequalities or, in some cases, active

resistance to feminist ideas perceived as threatening to traditional male dominance. However, as a

married man who is experience in living with females and has knowledge of feminist and gender studies,

these experience and knowledge critically engaged me in different ways in relating with feminist ideas,

which serves as manual to create awareness on why and how my mother, sister, wife and daughter should

protect themselves against marginalization, and patriarchal suppression and dominance of men over them.

This my engagement with feminism often involves a deconstruction of masculinity, which reveals how

patriarchal systems not only oppress women but also compel men through expectations of emotional

suppression, dominance, and competition. Though, men too, are interspersed into harmful gender roles,

which may lead to violence, psychological distress, and a lack of relational intimacy. Therefore, women

tend to have it at the back of their mind that, because, the society constructed roles for them, they should

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accord deserved respect for their male counterparts. From this viewpoint of mine, feminism is not solely a

women’s movement but a liberatory project for all people affected by unyielding gender norms.

My Position on Gender

The concept of gender as a socially constructed category is central to both feminist and gender studies.

However, how individuals interpret and internalize gender roles is deeply shaped by their positionality,

including sex. For many women, gender is experienced as a system of constraint that limits opportunities,

autonomy, and representation. This often leads to activism and critical inquiry aimed at expanding roles

and choices for all genders.

For men, especially those in dominant societal groups, gender may be perceived less as a system and

more as an invisible norm. However, critical engagement with masculinity studies has highlighted how

even dominant groups are impacted by gendered expectations, though in ways that often go unexamined.

Men’s increasing participation in gender discourse contributes to a broader understanding of gender as

relational and dynamic.

My position on gender is that it is a system that create different opportunities, roles and representation for

male and female. This system is aimed at expanding roles and choices and not constraining roles for all

genders.

In African before colonization, gender roles are largely complementary and not hierarchical. Men and

women often shared power within separate spheres for example men in warfare or external leadership,

women in domestic, agricultural, and spiritual domains.

Women acts as Authority queens, queen mothers, Mother overseer at home (Iyaale-ile) and female chiefs

holding political and spiritual authority (e.g., Queen Nzinga of Angola, Yoruba Iyalode, Akan Queen

Mothers), priestesses (e.g Iya Ọṣun, Iyanifa, Iya mogba, Ato, Iya agan), traders, farmers, and healers (Iya

agbẹbi). Women are often economically powerful and socially influential.

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Men acts as leader, warlords, sage, Community head (Baalẹ), Head of the family (Baale-ile) and male

chiefs holding political and spiritual authority (e.g., Ọba, Balogun, Baṣorun, Ọtun, Osi), priestesses (e.g ,

Babalawo, Abọrẹ, Baba mogba), farmers, and healers (Adahunṣe). Men are always economically

powerful and socially influential. They are meant to protect and provide for others in the society as it’s

been constructed by nature.

In Contemporary African Societies, there is persistent inequalities due to the change in direction on

gender roles by colonization. Many African societies struggle with gender-based discrimination in

education, politics, and economic opportunities. Women are often underrepresented in formal decision-

making roles, though this is improving. In urban centers, gender roles are more fluid due to exposure to

education, global culture, and employment opportunities while in rural areas, traditional gender roles

often persist, influenced by culture and limited access to modern infrastructure.

Religion and Modern Culture such as Christianity and Islam is another factor that influence gender norms

differently across regions. The marginalization of female prompted the establishment of Women's

Empowerment Movements. Feminist and gender rights movements become active across Africa (e.g.,

African Feminism, FIDA, AWDF), advocating for legal reforms, reproductive rights, and economic

empowerment.

Conclusion

The positionality of individuals based on their sex plays a crucial role in shaping how feminism and

gender are conceptualized, experienced, and theorized. Women’s experiences of marginalization have

fueled critical feminist analyses, while men’s positions within structures of power have necessitated

reflection on their roles and responsibilities in gender equity. The recognition of positionality not only

deepens my understanding of gendered experiences but also strengthens my feminist discourse by

ensuring that it remains inclusive, intersectional, and grounded in lived realities. As such, it is a vital idea

in practical advocacy. Gender roles in Africa are not static; they have evolved from flexible and power-

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sharing systems in pre-colonial times to more patriarchal structures during and after colonization. Today,

a dynamic tension exists between tradition and modernity, with growing advocacy for gender equity and

women's rights.

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