Colonialism in Africa was a violent act from its conceptualisation in the 18th century to its far-reaching implementation, which included genocides, war, countless human rights violations, loss of land and displacement, and which affected different African countries based on: the type of colonisation, the agency of local people and the interests of colonial agents, who were primarily traditional male leaders. This policy brief provides an overview of the types of colonisation that took place, the gendered dynamics of colonialism and the lost political institutions of African women in an attempt to promote innovation within transitional justice, specifically in how it views gender justice in Africa. An African feminist approach to transitional justice is used to frame the policy brief. This counteracts transitional justice's historical preoccupation with western feminism and the liberal democratic language of women's rights. This policy brief also addresses the historical erasure of women and attributes it to
the effects of colonialism on gender relations, ideas of domesticity and production, and the removal of women's agency in political institutions, their decision-making power and their indigenised women's rights in Nigeria and Uganda.
Gender Justice Policy Brief 2020 (002)
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
