‘[E]ven in our fear […] we wanted to do this’: feminist organising for abortion in Africa as palimpsestic

Berro Pizzarossa, Lucía, Coast, Ernestina ORCID: 0000-0002-8703-307X, Kareithi, Wanjiru and Duffy, Deirdre (2025) ‘[E]ven in our fear […] we wanted to do this’: feminist organising for abortion in Africa as palimpsestic. Culture, Health and Sexuality. ISSN 1369-1058 (In Press)

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Abstract

Activism for abortion rights and access in Africa is a vibrant and diverse movement that has become more prominent in recent years. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with members and allies of the MAMA network (an African transnational pro-abortion activist network), this article explores the evolving landscape of feminist abortion rights activism in Africa, examining how activists navigate and reshape this complex terrain influenced by enduring historical, socio-cultural, and political legacies. Employing the concept of the palimpsest as a lens, we examine how feminist organising for abortion rights and access unfolds in a context where historic scripts that limit African womens’ - and African feminists’ - agency have been imperfectly erased. We argue that activists record their experiences, strategies, successes, and challenges on the societal landscape, creating a cumulative and evolving record, similar to a palimpsest, in which each contribution builds upon and reinterprets the layers that precede it. By foregrounding the interconnectedness of past and present struggles, this article contributes to deeper understanding of the complexities of feminist abortion activism in Africa, showing how these efforts contribute to broader struggles for gender and reproductive justice across the continent.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	J Political Science R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine H Social Sciences
Date Deposited:	21 Jan 2025 10:27
Last Modified:	21 Jan 2025 10:27
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/126957

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