African women's history is a topic as vast as the continent itself, embracing an array of societies in over fifty countries with different geographies, social customs, religions, and historical situations. In African Women: Early History to the 21st Century, Kathleen Sheldon masterfully delivers a comprehensive study of this expansive story from before the time of records to the present day. She provides rich background on descent systems and the roles of women in matrilineal and patrilineal systems. Sheldon's work profiles elite women, as well as those in leadership roles, traders and market women, religious women, slave women, women in resistance movements, and women in politics and development. The rich case studies and biographies in this thorough survey establish a grand narrative about women's roles in the history of Africa.

About the Author

Kathleen Sheldon is an independent scholar who has a research affiliation with the Center for the Study of Women at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is author of Pounders of Grain: A History of Women, Work, and Politics in Mozambique and the Historical Dictionary of Women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Reviews

The author's book adds an impressive contribution and paints a comprehensive picture about the role of ordinary African women in the African history and development. The book is a valuable addition to several fields including gender, political studies, and history studies.

* Leeds African Studies Bulletin *

This comprehensive work on African women decisively adds to the understanding of the subject. . . . Highly recommended.

* Choice *

This is an essential book that will enrich undergraduate classroom discussions and, hopefully, bring more attention to the rich and creative scholarship produced by scholars of gender and women's studies.

* Canadian Journal of African Studies *

This book should be regarded as a magisterial achievement, and will no doubt find a well-deserved place on a whole host of undergraduate reading lists.

* Gender & History *

Sheldon has made an important contribution to the field of African women's history with this text, and African Women will become a staple in undergraduate courses while also serving as a handy reference text for graduate students and scholars.

* African Studies Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780253027160
Author Kathleen Sheldon
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Indiana University Press
Publisher Indiana University Press
Weight(grams) 640g