Writing is a powerful tool of resistance, expression, and movement building for African feminists. It is through writing that feminists explore the complexity of ideologies and question issues of power structures. Through their literary work, feminists across the continent and beyond have been empowered to question the status quo and challenge all systems of oppression while deepening their feminist roots in knowledge. However, there is a glaring absence of platforms where young feminists can actively hone their writing skills to elevate the quality of their work for publication.
It is against this background, that AMwA with support from the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), is seeking to strengthen the capacity of 15 young African feminist writers through a writing workshop series that will enhance their activism, and legitimacy for African Feminist thought leadership. The series will be conducted through eight online rigorous writing workshops which will aim at fostering a community of young feminist writers who will lead and strengthen intellectual activism in Africa, using writing as a key organising strategy.
The goal of the African feminist writing workshop is to strengthen the capacity of feminists for research and writing for academic journals. Workshop participants are expected, with support and guidance from the consulting editor, to develop papers that shall be published in the second edition of the Leaders’ Journal,. The Leaders’ journal is an integral part of the culture of learning and knowledge creation at Akina Mama wa Afrika, and aims at contributing towards the growth of feminist scholarship and the widening of the feminist movement using writing as a form of liberation and consciousness awakening.
The workshop series will be held once every week on Zoom, from 2:00-4:00pm EAT starting from 11 th June, 2021 to 30th July 2021.
Eligibility:
- Participants should be feminists from the African continent who are interested in strengthening their academic writing skills and are committed to participating in all the work required as part of the workshop.
- Applicants should have at least intermediate writing skills and show evidence of written work.
- Applicants should be able to speak and write in English.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should submit their cover letters indicating why they should be considered for the workshop to [email protected] by 2nd June , 2021 with “African Feminist Writing Workshop” in the subject line. The application should include a short biography, (including their country), and two writing samples of either published or unpublished work. Shorter writing samples are preferred to ease the process of assessment.
