WOMEN’S WISDOM AND THEIR ROLE IN AFRICAN POLITICS: BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT – SAMIA SULUHU AS A CASE STUDY

Abstract

African women have historically played a pivotal role in shaping African society, enjoying, for a long period, a distinctive status that often surpassed that of their counterparts elsewhere. They are widely credited with establishing agrarian systems, which provided the economic and social bedrock upon which broader societal structures were built and ultimately gave rise to civilizations. In early African communities, women were regarded as the cornerstone of both family formation and continuity. Nevertheless, the role of women across the continent has never been uniform; it has varied significantly across countries and regions, shaped by distinct local customs, traditions, historical experiences, cultural practices, and religious frameworks. Accordingly, the status and roles of women in North Africa differ markedly from those in East, West, Central, and Southern Africa, even though the essence of womanhood and its inherent identity remain constant across the continent. At the same time, many African states are experiencing profound political transitions that significantly impact stability at the local, regional, and international levels. These shifts underscore the need for comprehensive and multidimensional strategies to address instability and its wide-ranging consequences. Within this framework, the question of women’s participation in political transitions has gained increasing prominence, particularly with regard to their integration into peace processes and the effective promotion of their involvement across all stages and at every level of decision-making.