Book Review: Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Southern Africa by Cecilia Lwiindi Nedziwe and Oluwaseun Tella (ISBN 978-3-031-29536-2), 2023; London, Palgrave Macmillan, 281 pp.
Introduction
Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Southern Africa by Nedziwe and Tella (2023) is an informative and thought-provoking co-authored book that explores the transformative role of women-centered civil society organizations (CSOs) across Southern Africa. The authors use empirical data from six Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries—Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe—to highlight the often overlooked but transformative role of women in addressing gender insecurities and promoting social justice through transnational activism.
Overview
The book begins by grounding the analysis in the New Regionalism Approach (NRA), highlighting the role of women in fostering regional thickening through collaboration and advocacy that transcend national borders. The authors leverage primary and secondary data sources, providing an empirical basis for their arguments. Drawing from interviews with key actors, including CSO leaders, the authors paint a vivid picture of how women have navigated complex socioeconomic and political spaces to address gendered insecurities.
What is especially notable is the authors’ framing and analysis of women’s transnational activities within global, regional, and local policy frameworks. The book highlights the intersections between local women’s organizations, such as Gender Links and Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust, and international agreements, including the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security (2000), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality. The authors also underscore the importance of regional instruments like the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development (2008, revised in 2016), while underscoring the critical role that women-centered CSOs have played in shaping these frameworks.
Strengths of the Book
The authors ensure that their arguments in the book are grounded in diverse legal, institutional, and socio-political contexts. This not only provides valuable insights into the transformative agency of women but also facilitates a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face in different settings. The cross-country comparisons enrich the book’s analytical value, offering readers a broader understanding of regional dynamics and the varying roles of women-focused CSOs in Southern Africa.
The NRA framework employed, challenges traditional linear approaches to regionalism, instead presenting a more inclusive model that accommodates diverse experiences of women’s transnational activities. By using the NRA, the authors demonstrate how women-focused CSOs transcend national borders and work within diverse and complex regionalisms. This perspective allows for the recognition of the various forms of regional governance that women’s organizations engage with, thus providing a fresh perspective on transnational activism.
One of the central themes in the book is the role of women’s CSOs in shaping regional policies and advocating for gender equality. The authors illustrate how these organizations have been instrumental in influencing policy frameworks, such as the 1997 SADC Declaration on Gender and Development and the Post-2015 SADC Protocol on Gender and Development. These achievements are significant, as they exemplify the power of women’s collective agency in addressing systemic gender inequalities.
The book’s structural coherence is commendable. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, making the complex subject matter accessible to a wide audience, including policymakers, academics, and practitioners. The language is clear and succinct, ensuring that the book is informative and engaging. Despite having only two authors, the book maintains a unified voice, making it an enjoyable read.
Furthermore, the book highlights the innovative strategies and networks that women employ to advocate for social justice and gender equality. By situating these strategies within both global and local contexts, the authors offer a broad view of the complex dynamics at play. The detailed discussion of international frameworks, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adds depth to the analysis, showing how women-focused CSOs contribute to the development and implementation of such frameworks. Additionally, the authors’ discussion of women’s agency in pushing local norms into global policy spaces resonate with current debates on the role of local actors in shaping global governance, and provides a critical example of how grassroots organizations can influence international norms towards achieving effective and sustainable change.
Areas for reflection
While the book offers a compelling analysis, the authors could have reflected more on their positionality as researchers given the gendered nature of research. A deeper exploration of how their own gender identities may have influenced the research process would have added another layer of transparency to the findings.
Moreover, while the book discusses women’s exclusion from decision-making spaces occasioned by colonial structures and patriarchal systems, it would have been interesting to reflect on how women themselves might unintentionally contribute their own exclusion. A reflection on this dynamic would provide a more holistic view of the barriers women face in civil society organizations.
Lastly, the focus on women’s empowerment is critical, but a reflection on how these initiatives impact gender relations more broadly would add depth to the discussion. The question of how to involve men in the fight for gender equality remains important and necessitates further attention.
Conclusion
Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Africa is a timely and significant contribution to the fields of gender studies, regionalism, and civil society activism. As a researcher passionate about inclusive governance and the role of marginalized populations in global development, I found this book to be an enlightening read. The authors provide a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of how women’s CSOs in Southern Africa have emerged as key players in addressing gender inequalities and promoting social justice. The book’s empirical rigor and innovative use of the NRA framework, combined with its accessible language and structural coherence, makes it a valuable resource for a wide range of readers, from policymakers to researchers.
Whereas the book could have benefited from further reflection, such as the authors’ positionality and reflexivity, these do not detract from the overall significant achievement of the book. Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Africa is an invaluable resource to audiences interested in gender studies, civil society activism, or regional development in Africa. It is an indispensable read for understanding the power of women’s collective action in shaping a more just and equitable world.
Reference
Nedziwe, Chido L., and Olufemi Tella. 2023. Transnational Activities of Women-Focused Civil Society Actors in Southern Africa. London: Palgrave Macmillan.