Feminism Rooted in Culture and Religion: STIWANISM and Islamic Feminism

WHAT IS STIWANISM?

From the observation that feminism was Eurocentric in ancient times, the African feminists decided to propound versions of feminism that brought about the totality of the experiences of the African woman, both in her continent and foreign continents. ‘Western feminism’ is the term given to the feminism practised by the Western women who claim to be feminists, but do not regard other races in their ideology. Western women seemed not to consider the African experience, knowing full well that African women go through series of oppression both in their homeland and in the Western world; rather, they spoke only about their own experiences and the various ways in which they could eradicate the patriarchal system. They, therefore, kept the ideology of racism by oppressing the African women in ways which they themselves would not have wanted to be oppressed. Their absence of a globe-centric realization has led to various versions of feminism, especially in Africa, where these versions are constantly preached about and also practised. These African feminists (not necessarily women) express the experiences and struggles of the African woman, and these versions include Motherism, STIWANISM, Womanism, Bread and Butter Feminism, Africana womanism, and others. These versions were created as a result of the fact that Western feminism was deemed racist.

The African woman is subjected to double oppression in the aspect of Western feminism — misogyny or patriarchy (as the case may be) and racism. This is because the Western woman oppresses the African woman, her fellow woman, based on her skin colour. Therefore, what Western women consider to be feminism is different from what African women aspire to. Hence, we could say that these versions are generally feminism in the African context; the struggle for equality among sexes in the African context. In this essay, both STIWANISM and Islamic feminism shall be discussed.

STIWANISM is an acronym for Social Transformation Including Women in Africa”, which was propounded by Molara Ogundipe-Leslie, a Nigerian feminist, poet, activist, and critic. She is also a Professor of English, African, Cultural and Gender Studies. According to her interview with Desiree Lewis, she describes Stiwanism as a term emanating from the need to “move us away from defining feminism and feminisms in relation to Euro-America or elsewhere, and from declaiming loyalties or disloyalties”. She also adds “I felt that as concerned African women, we needed to focus on our areas of concern, socially and geographically. I am concerned with the critical transformations of a positive Africa, positive meaning, ‘being positive with everything that maximizes the quality of life of Africans and their potentials too’”. This, therefore, goes to show that Ogundipe-Leslie believes that the feminist concept of the ‘Euro-American’ world does not have anything to do with the society of the Africans. This is because, as literature reflects society, so does Western feminism reflect Western society. Hence, Africans have a completely different worldview, so should feminism in the African perspective. Therefore, STIWANISM calls for a critical and social transformation in the African society at large, with a focus on African women too, since there is the need for gender equality in the society, economy and politics of Africa.

WHAT IS ISLAMIC FEMINISM?

Generally, from the name ‘Islamic feminism’, one can say that it is a feminist movement rooted in the Islamic culture. It evolved from the issue of many women being made to choose between their Islamic religion and belief in gender equality. This caused confusion, as they felt they would either have to sacrifice their Islamic faith for feminist activism or sacrifice their feminist right for their Islamic faith. Although, many secular feminists reject Islamic feminism because Islam seems to oppress women; meanwhile, many Muslim women reject feminism because it has a secular approach and does not favour their religious values. Islamic feminism therefore first appeared during the Islamic revolution in Iran. According to Margot Badran, a scholar interested in women and Islam, Islamic feminism emerged from patriarchal Islam and secular feminism. Islam is not favoured in secular feminism; therefore, there was a need to create a religious-based feminist movement.

For years, women have endured ill-treatment from men and attributed it to the suffering that comes naturally and inevitably with being a woman. As soon as they became aware of the need for equality and that Islam does not condemn women the way women are condemned, they felt duped and mistreated. Islamic women writers such as Nawal El Saadawi, (an Egyptian feminist) have written literary works which both reflect the unfair treatment of women in the society and allow readers become aware of the solution a woman has for these societal norms restricted to them. An example is Two Women in One, a prose narrative written by Nawal El Saadawi, which centralises on the non-conformity to societal norms given to the woman.

ISLAMIC FEMINISM IN EL SAADAWI’S WOMAN AT POINT ZERO

In Woman at Point Zero, the protagonist chooses to become a prostitute and fights against patriarchy with her position. Due to this, society and men, in particular, are not in support of her advocacy and struggle. The main character, Firdaus suffers the objectivity many women in Africa face through private patriarchy (domination of men as fathers and husbands) and public patriarchy (domination of men in the society at large). She believes that going into prostitution would help her get closer to attacking the ills of patriarchy, but in the end, her struggle leads her to imprisonment, and then to death.

Violence and Justice are at the centre of El Saadawi’s works — she depicts how these two conflict one another and therefore have their limitations. She is concerned with the non-conformity of traditions, and the respect of each human being as a whole. She is against the condemnations against women all in the name of Islam, which seems to be a shade to cover their patriarchal ills. Therefore, the society that is involved in these kinds of practices uses religion as an excuse to harm women and subject them to sexual, societal, economic and mental oppression.

In the novel, Firdaus is imprisoned for killing a man, and her story is told by her to the author’s character, Nawal El Saadawi, a Doctor visiting the female prison. This novel is based on El Saadawi’s real-life experience during a visit to a prison. Firdaus is seen as an object of the society; men thirst for her, and she is entrapped by this new decision she has made because the men continue to devour her sexually. During her trial, she refuses to plead guilty for killing one of the men that have mistreated her. This leads to her refusal of the death sentence proclaimed on her.

Based on the review of this novel, the New York Times article quotes that it is ‘appallingly true that no culture as religion-dominated as Arabic culture can ever accomplish social or political equality for women’ (6). Like STIWANISM, Islamic feminism focuses on the women in the Arab world, and those who practice Islam. El Saadawi adds in her interview with Adele S. Newson-Horst thus;

I do not write for the West. I write for people everywhere who

believe in justice, freedom, equality, peace, and creativity. But

I do write in Arabic; therefore, I write mainly for people in our

countries.

Despite the fact that El Saadawi says this, her husband Sheriff Hetata who translates her works to English assists with helping spread her intentions to the whole world with her creative works. Also, for Islam to be referred to as a religion of peace, it needs to instil peace in all its dealings, including a fair share of rights between men and women in the Arabic society.

In conclusion, Islamic feminism can be said to be distinct because it requires the Islamic faith in the feminist views of the advocates.

WORKS CITED

• El Saadawi, Nawal. Woman at Point Zero. Zed Books Ltd; London, 1983.
• Feminism in Islam: Secular and Religious Convergences (Oneworld Press, Oxford, 2008)
• Margot Badran (2002), “Islamic Feminism: What’s in a Name?” Al-Ahram Weekly Online no. 569, 17–23 January, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/569/cul.htm
• Ogundipe-Leslie, Molara. Recreating Ourselves: African Women and Critical Transformations. African World Press, Inc; New Jersey, 1994.