A case Study of the Southern African Rural Women's Assembly: "We Can Bend the Stick"

Abstract

The article reflects on feminist movement building in Southern Africa with a specific focus on leadership in rural areas and land struggles. It discusses the experience of the Rural Women's Assembly (RWA). RWA is a self-organised grassroots movement that since its launch in 2009, has located its leadership formation in local struggles, local organising and mobilising in the rural areas across Southern Africa. The movement's membership in the region has extended to ten countries. The base now consists of popular associations, farmers' unions, cross-border traders, producers and farm workers. Presently the RWA has a membership of over 80 000 direct members with a cascading impact on 300 000 to 500 000. This article seeks to reveal first, that African women, especially poor, rural women are invisible, hidden and often marginalised in the leadership roles they perform. Second, it engages with the perception that poor rural women are subservient and nurture a culture of obedience that...