Continuity and ruptures in the hegemonic model of femininity in Angola: an analysis of the experience of female lecturers at the Katyavala Bwila-Benguela University (Angola)

Abstract: Life in Angola remains heavily influenced by the continued effects of the struggle for independence, followed by over 27 years of civil war. The civil war had a profoundly negative impact on all aspects of human life in Angola, including the perpetuation of traditional gender norms, which results in significant challenges permeating the lives of women in the Southern African nation, placing them in a particularly disadvantaged position in terms of health, education and access to resources. This article focuses on female lecturers at Katyavala Bwila University in Benguela (UKB) to explore their experiences and mainstream discourses in relation to their gendered position. Drawing from in-depth interviews and discussion groups, the article examines discursive practices of subjection or dis-subjection to identify possibilities of transformation which may emerge from the recognition of their gendered experiences.

Keywords: situated knowledge, gendered experiences, discourse analysis, male domination, symbolic violence.

Article posted to Journal of the British Academy, volume 10, supplementary issue 6, Language, Culture and Society in Postcolonial Angola.