Women and Law in Sub-Saharan Africa

This work brings together as one volume a wide range of material on women and law from different geographical regions and fields of study, including gender studies, sociology, law and human rights. It quotes leading cases such as 'Unity Dow' from Botswana, 'Bi Hawa Mohamed' from Tanzania and 'Magaya', from Zimbabwe; and excerpts from the writings of leading scholars in the field e.g. Sylvia Tamale, Fareda Banda, Florence Butegwa and Takyiwaa Manuh. It cites the constitutions and statute laws pertaining to the position of women in various African countries; reports by government commissions, international NGOs and human rights conventions.

The book is organised around specific areas of law which impinge upon women: family law; property ownership, including access to land and inheritance systems; reproductive rights; sexual and domestic violence; employment discrimination; and the participation of women in politics. Overall the authors intend to promote the idea that although women and law is a massive subject in Africa, and there are many different cultural and legal contexts and approaches to the debate, there are common threads which relate to the majority of women across the continent. They show that it is therefore legitimate and necessary to focus on the big picture rather than take aspects of the debate in isolation; and identify major concerns to be taken forward at various levels.