Association of African Women for Research and Development
The Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD) was created in 1977 by African women scholars and development professionals. Their goal is to focus study on the African women and to promote the "decolonization" of such study: to have African women themselves perform research on their societies and formulate their own theories, analysis and development programs. The association has also formed a number of working groups to focus on particular themes such as reproduction, the media, employment, feminism, and research methodology.
In early -1986. AA WORD decided to put stronger emphasis on networking among members in different countries and to develop new contacts in other African countries. Several months later, they launched a quarterly newsletter. Echo, in both English and French.
The following article, reprinted from the first issue of Echo (Spring 1986), reports on a December 1985 meeting of the A A WORD working group on women and reproduction.
The reconceptualization of women and reproduction through a critical analysis of theoretical assumptions and models guided the discussions that took place in this seminar. What methodology should be used to conceptualize female reproduction? What are the main issues that fall within this topic? What is the basis through which we can make comparisons and parallels in different countries as it relates to women's role in production and reproduction? How can we as AAWORD members conduct research using alternative methodologies which best describe women's role in reproduction? Within the framework of these general question, the debate focused on various issues which looked at the topic of women and reproduction from different levels of analysis.
The seminar was organized around the following themes: (a) The Relation between Production and Reproduction (b) Ideological Reproduction: Reconstruction of Sexual Identity, and (c) Biological Reproduction: Ideology, Control of Sexuality and Reproduction, and Population Policy.
One major analytical concern of participants was the need to define reproduction in a broader conceptual framework. It was noted that the existing literature on Africa lacks the theoretical basis for the formulation of new models of analysis which can generate more relevant data. There is a need to undertake research that would challenge commonly help assumptions which have resulted in redundancy and the perpetuation of preconceived ideas of women's roles in production and reproduction.
The first paper sought to cover the various dimension which fall under the topic of women and reproduction and indicated the problems in utilizing conceptual tools without redefining them to reflect their true meaning. It argued that three basic assumptions have guided social science research in its discussion of women and reproduction. First, women are viewed only in the context of their biological reproduction despite the fact their role in production is equally important. Second, the analysis ignores historical processes which transform the reproductive and productive experiences of women. Third, the discussion of reproduction is always constructed outside the sphere of production.
The ideological reproduction of sexual inequality is further entrenched through other structures. The paper on the reproduction of knowledge through formally established institutions demonstrated quite clearly the justification for the preponderance of women in certain occupations. Because women are always associated with child bearing, the training that is available focuses on such roles.
The case studies on market, women and children in Nigeria, and on Moroccan women engaged in paid labor outside the home documented the relationship between production and reproduction. Finally the paper on women and reproduction in Guinea provided the basis for the discussion of changing population policies and its impact on women.
Within the context of the above discussion, a summary of some of the major issues that were raised follows:
1. How does the dramatic increase in women-headed households as a result of internal and international migrations affect the social relations of production? Given these conditions what has been the impact on women's productive roles and how has it affected their capacity to perform their reproductive and productive roles?
2. How do women cope with the devastating effects of the economic crisis and still maintain some equilibrium within their lives? What are some of the strategies women have adopted to enable them to survive these conditions?
Psycho-cultural mechanisms which are a part of women's lives have minimized women's vulnerability by providing some outlet to mobilize them as well as provide them with some flexibility and resiliency. Where do women find their raison d'etre, their fulfillment, and pride and satisfaction for the burden they bear? As they take more and more responsibility toward their families and their children, women have visions which sustain them. As one participant put it, whereas in the past some women were ashamed of their roles as the. sole caretaker of their families, today they take pride in educating their children or providing them with certain amenities.
Hence, in discussing women and production in ail its dimensions, social reproduction, biological reproduction and the reproduction of the labor force need to be incorporated.
Another major debate in the seminar was the reproduction of value systems which continue to undermine women. Two of the seminar papers focused on the ideological reproduction of values and women's central role in the process. Do women socialize their children to accept conditions of exploitation through the transmission of values which in turn reproduce both gender and class inequalities?
The paper on female circumcision presented some interesting data on the role of women in perpetuating oppressive practices which seek to control women's reproduction and their sexuality. It clearly shows that women who are responsible for most of the socialization of their children reproduce sexual inequality. The justification for this can be found in the fact that when women pass through many positions in the course of their lives, in which their relations to the structures of power and wealth alter dramatically; it affects the depth to which solidarity between women is possible across the division of the life cycle.
These issues are again raised by the paper on the mother-infant dyad in attempting to analyze the reproduction of sexual unequality. The paper shows the transformation of the bond and maternal love between women and their male children being usurped by patriarchy through rituals and symbols, in order to reproduce sexual inequality. The intervention of the society to break this dyad is completed through various mechanisms of which the devalorization of women's work constitutes the most important element. Within the framework of this analysis participants further discussed the role of women as mothers-in-laws and their collaboration in oppressing other women who come into the household. The discussion on the devalorization of women's work looked at various ways through which this is accomplished.
3. Do programs designed for women enable them to become self-reliant or do they in fact increase their burden?
In this context the whole issue of community-based programs, income-generating activities and those which depend heavily on the unpaid or underpaid labor of women were mentioned. Particularly relevant were those programs which were being promoted by international donors, who have in the past 10 years included women within the various activities. Based on the ideology of the sexual division of labor, these programs were even more exploitative of women and further increased their burden.
4. Has the state abdicated its responsibility to provide a better standard of living for its people?
One case is the non-recognition of the informal sector where women are heavily concentrated and the lack of support for women at all levels.
5. It was pointed out that today, the resurgence of so-called "traditional values" which undermine women and ifw reproduction of social systems designed to control women were becoming increasingly oppressive. Yet women have embraced Islamic fundamentalism and other traditional forms of control.
Women's involvement in these emerging movements can perhaps be seen as a way of finding some rationale or justification and, as one participant said, a "safety" mechanism in their increasingly precarious lives. On the other hand it is important to pose the question as to whether women have accepted these conditions or have been able to militate against them on one level. Also as important is the means through which they have been able to survive the crisis. This can provide an interesting research problem on how women respond to such forces aimed at controlling and undermining them.
In discussing the crisis that has occurred in the Africa region, a very animated debate ensued over the issue of population and its impact both on development and on women. It is clear today that the standard of living for the majority of people in Africa has seriously disintegrated. It has been popular to associate such phenomena with the unprecedented increase in population that the Africa region is experiencing today. This has precipitated a widely held belief that since women bear children, they are on one level the problem and at another level the key towards solving the problem. Hence the control of fertility has become the number one priority and consequently, research in this field has sought to justify this hypothesis.
If one integrates the question of fertility within the issue of production and reproduction and women's role using the above hypothesis it generates quite a few misconceptions.
a. What is the relationship between the decrease in the standard of living with the increased population growth in Africa? b. Can women control fertility through increased awareness, education, and literacy? This raised interesting comments on the relationship between education and fertility. Do we see decreased fertility among educated African women or the opposite as in the case of urban educated African women who register a very-high fertility rate?
c. Can women's subordination be located in the level of fertility? If women have fewer children will it ensure more education and therefore also enable them to transmit values of equality to them.'
Again it was stressed that one should try to understand issues related to population within the context of cultural, economic and political forces that operate not only in African countries but throughout the world. If we take the demographic transition theory which is a phenomenon experienced by the West, we see that with the decrease in infant mortality, there was also significant decrease in fertility. Demographers had thought that this would occur in Africa and the rest of the developing countries. However, today, despite decreased infant mortality, fertility levels have not leveled off. this has forced researchers to question the application of theoretical models which explain demographic behavior in the West towards Africa. It was further stressed in the meeting that such debates should never lose sight of the fact that family planning is a legitimate program which can benefit women. In this regard the danger of the pro-natalist ideology that is being promoted by governments and religious groups was viewed as potentially dangerous.
Conclusions
From the above discussion it is quite clear that this seminar raised a number of issues which provide future possibilities for research. Second, it has laid the foundation for a more comprehensive discussion of the topic by incorporating aspects which in the past have been compartmentalized into different disciplines. Third, it has been able to provide a forum whereby participants can exchange their ideas, benefit from the suggestions and recommendations of other members. The papers and the proceedings of the seminar are available. The bibliographic comment of the above project entitled Women and Health in Africa: An Annotated Bibliography by Belkis Wolde Giorgis is also available.
For more information, contact AAWORD, BP. 3304, Dakar. Senegal