Ebook: African Women: Their Struggle for Economic Independence

"African Women is a study of the everyday struggles of women in East Africa to support themselves economically. The aim of these women is clear — to be more independent of men. One consequence of this has been their migration from traditional village society to the apparently less restrictive life of the city. Christine Obbo’s book grew out of her research in Uganda and Kenya during the 1970s. It portrays the attitudes of ordinary women — both villagers and those living in the cities — to their relationships with men. It presents a detailed picture of the multitude of ways in which these women earn their own living. And it shows the new more independent forms of relationships with men ~ as well as solidarity with other women — that they have built up.

In the shifting population of Wabigalo-Namuwongo on the out- skirts of Kampala, Christine Obbo has found women in the process of transformation. Graphically, she depicts them migrating from a variety of economic and social backgrounds and coping with the problems — and successes — of their new-found freedom.

This book is more than a useful case-study addition to the existing literature on social change in Africa. Its interest lies in its specific focus on women, and on the changes they are bringing about in their own lives. For social scientists of Africa, this is an important new perspective. It is also illuminating for non-academic feminists who want to understand the situation of women and their forms of struggle in those parts of Africa still ruled by governments largely unconcerned with the issue of women’s liberation.