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"Women, Equality, and Citizenship in Contemporary Africa" published on by Oxford University Press.

Investigates the relation of African American women to contemporary feminist issues & organizing, drawing on interviews with 30 such women who have been involved in African American organizations. Results indicate that these women are hesitant to embrace the identity of feminist. Although they engage in feminist activities, they tend to view feminism in the popular 1970s sense of the term as antimale & middle-class white. A number perceive their exclusion from the women's movement as reason to resist the feminist label, while others believe that racial issues are more important than gender issues. Efforts to construct a new vernacular for African American female political activism, such as womanism or black feminism, are taken to indicate the negative effect of the women's movement on African American women. To develop better collaboration between African American women & feminism, it is suggested that women's groups must do better in understanding the construction of African American gendered identities & goals. 30 References. D. Ryfe

An African perspective contends that recent tides of globalization are manifestations of exploitative institutional relationships that were established when Africa was introduced into the world market as a provider of slave labor & cheap raw materials. Exploitation continued through the colonial trading system. It is argued that the root causes of Africa's dire situation are not internal problems but international/regional relations structured to favor global corporations. Many newly independent African states attempted to modernize their economies by borrowing international funds at high interest rates. The resulting accumulation of debt led to stabilization & structural adjustment policies that emphasize production for export & pull citizens from agrarian economies into an urban context. The negative effect on African women of the reduction in both the domestic food supply & government spending on services is discussed. Three case studies are presented to illustrate these points: (1) debt management & the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Debt Relief Initiative; (2) the Chad oil pipeline; & (3) privatization in Senegal. It is concluded that the institutions/processes of globalization are aggravating Africa's marginal position in the international order. 2 Tables. J. Lindroth