African women in law a comparative perspective J. Jarpa Dawuni, PH.D

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dawuni, J. Jarpa, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sex discrimination against women--Law and legislation--Africa.

Sex discrimination against women.

Women--Legal status, laws, etc--Africa.

Women.

Women judges--Africa.

Women judges.

Women lawyers--Africa.

Women lawyers.

Sex discrimination against women--Law and legislation.

Women--Legal status, laws, etc.

Africa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

illustration

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford University Press, 2026.

New York, NY Oxford University Press [2026]

Summary:

'African Women in Law' is an empirical study offering a comprehensive and contextually rich portrait of African women in the legal profession. Drawing on 153 interviews across six countries, 249 survey responses from 21 countries, and secondary literature from 15 countries, this groundbreaking book explores the representation of women in the bar, bench, and legal academia. It traces historical developments, examines current realities, and sets the stage for future research

Contents:

Cover

Half Title

Title Page

Copyright Page

Praise Page

Dedication

Contents

Figures

Tables

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

1 Studying Women in Law Across Africa: The Lion(Ness) and the Hunter

I. Introduction

1. The Research Questions

II. Developing a Practical Framework for Complex Phenomena

1. What Research Questions Should Be Asked?

2. What Methodological Approaches Should Be Used?

3. What Theoretical Frameworks Are Appropriate in Framing the Study?

III. The Comparative Framework: On Terminology and Classifications

1. Legal Terminology

2. Legal Systems/Traditions

3. Nonessentialism and Intergenerational Categorization

IV. Major Contributions and Key Findings

1. Theory

2. Argument

3. Terminology

4. Periodization

V. Structure and Plan of the Book

2 The Legal Profession in Africa: History, Theory, and Methods

II. Law and Justice in Precolonial Africa

III. Development of the Legal Professions Across Africa

1. The Accidental Emergence of Legal Education

2. Lawyers, the Colonial Enterprise, and State Relations

3. Legal Institutional Frameworks and Professional Regulatory Practices

IV. Studying African Women in Law: Theories and Methods

1. Theoretical Frameworks

A. Matri-Legal Feminism

B. Postcolonial Feminism

C. Intersectionality

2. Methodological Framework

A. Case Selection

B. A Note on Quantitative Data

3 Studying Women in Law Across Africa: A Conceptual Framework

II. Women, Agency, and Justice in Precolonial African Systems

III. Women in Law: Global Perspectives

IV. Along Came the Women: Mapping Women's Representation in Law Across Africa

1. Phase One: The Colonial Phase (1930-1950)

2. Phase Two: Independence to State Formation (1951-1970)

3. Phase Three: Resistance and Liberalization Phase (1971-1990)

4. Phase Four: Diffusion and Bar Expansion (1990-2010)

5. Phase Five: Global Expansionism (2011-Ongoing)

V. Pathways to the Profession: Explaining Career Choices

1. Changing Educational Opportunity Structures

2. Family Tradition

3. Personal Choice (Intentional Lawyers)

4. Accidental Lawyers (Unintentional Lawyers)

5. Justice and Problem-Solving as Driving Forces

6. Role Models

VI. Women in Law: An Intersectional and Intergenerational Framing of Presence

1. Sex/Gendered Constructions and Expectations

2. Age

3. Ethnicity and Race

4. Marital and Family Status

VII. Pioneer Women in Law: Individual Lives, Shared Experiences

VIII. Contributions of the Pioneer Women in Law

1. Changed Gender Norms and Perceptions

2. Role Models and the Diffusion Effect

3. Women's and Human Rights Activists

4. International Representatives

IX. Conclusion

4 Women at the Bar: The First Battleground

II. Structure and Context of the Bar

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description based on online resource and publisher information; title from PDF title page (viewed on March 23, 2026)

Other Format:

Print version :

ISBN:

9780197795095

0197795099

OCLC:

1581155618

Publisher Number:

CIPO000368620

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license