Africa Day and gendered contradictions of unity

African women remain an afterthought

- Grace Khunou

Annually, Africa Day celebrations across the continent are filled with reminders of the promises of unity and solidarity for the continent.

In South Africa, the day is commemorated by a diversity of commemorative activities propagating the idea of unity — started by the Organisation of African Unity, the precursor to the African Union, on May 25, 1963.

In the South African higher education milieu, the celebrations continued this year despite the tension of Afrophobia marking the relevance of universities as places of continued reflection in the context of conflict.

Some of the debates rightfully focused on African solidarity amid the opportunities offered by multipolarity and finding solutions to the “scramble for Africa”, growing geopolitical conflicts and technological shifts. While the debates are important for shifting the needle towards generic unity, what is not showing up is the position of women in this work to develop and unite the continent.