On a spectrum of marginalisation, African women’s thought on the economy arguably remains the least visible, a convergence of the problems that dominant economic traditions have with both gender and Africa. By identifying the impact of patriarchal capitalism and recognising the diverse ways in which it operates, feminist perspectives offer alternative economic systems that prioritise equitable distribution and environmental sustainability in general.
Capitalism has no solutions for the problems that confront humanity. This is the unequivocal conclusion of the 800 leaders from 260 left progressive organisations in 51 countries, alongside forward-looking intellectuals and political leaders, who have been convened together in the last few years by PAT and other regional articulations of the International Peoples’ Assembly. For these people, any illusion that there are redeeming qualities to capitalism. The III International Dilemmas of Humanity Conference which just took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, this October was in some ways the culmination of these efforts.
Hundreds of thousands slept in the open air after a magnitude 7 earthquake hit several regions in Morocco. The number of fatalities crossed the 2,900 mark, while more than 300,000 civilians, including 100,000 children, have been affected. Complete villages have collapsed while others have been destroyed or besieged by landslides and falling boulders. Yet, what is clear is that it is not the natural disaster that has killed people, but rather the lack of proper living structures caused by precarity and marginalisation.
Africa has increasingly diverged from the Atlantic powers, more weary of Western militarisation, economic strangulation, and tepid diplomatic policies that give little room for sovereign development. We need new locomotives to represent and advance the collective aspirations of the people not only domestically but the shifting balance of forces globally. Through joint collaboration within our Network of African Research Institutes, we hope to build our capacity to support the leading social movements confronting the dilemmas of humanity on the continent.
