Zainab Monisola Olaitan – författare

Critiques the Eurocentric framing of entrepreneurship in Africa and advocates for embracing Indigenous philosophies and practices to foster inclusive, sustainable socio-economic development.Indigenous entrepreneurship involves the use of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) to establish enterprises whose target is not only profit but also socio-economic development of communities, and that differentiates it from mainstream economic activities. Based on this, it is then possible to bring into the conversation the issue of IKS and entrepreneurship in Africa in terms of how the conceptualization and praxis of Indigenous entrepreneurship can be decolonized to unlock and unleash socio-economic development in Africa. For this reason, it matters that Indigenous entrepreneurship does not continue to be subjected to or governed by mainstream economic principles. It should be remembered that before colonial conquest, Indigenous entrepreneurship flourished and led to authentic and inclusive socio-economic development. It was colonialism and settler Eurocentric institutions that subjected Indigenous entrepreneurship to mainstream economic governance regimes leading to its marginalization and in some cases relative demise. Nonetheless, given on one hand the resilience of Indigenous entrepreneurship in terms of surviving the colonial encounter, onslaught, and institutions that should have suffocated and buried it and on the other its potential to spur inclusive socio-economic development, it is now time to revisit and recover it without subjecting it to or seeing it through mainstream economic lenses and the Eurocentric frame. Consequently, this raises three critical but related questions which the book tackles; first, how is entrepreneurship understood and practiced by Indigenous communities in Africa? Second, why is there a need to decolonize the conceptualization and praxis of entrepreneurship in Africa through the logic of IKS and how can this be done? Third, how and to what extent can IKS be leveraged and/or mobilized and unleashed to contribute to socio-economic development in Africa? Against this backdrop, the main goal of the book project therefore is to decolonize within the prism of IKS how Indigenous entrepreneurship is conceptualized, understood, and implemented in Africa. This task should show the poverty of the current understanding and implementation of entrepreneurship in Africa which is couched within a Eurocentric frame. It is now time to transcend the Eurocentric monologue of entrepreneurship to an understanding of how Indigenous communities in various parts of Africa conceptualize and practice entrepreneurship leading to socio-economic development. It is important to amplify the point that since it is the cornerstone of the contemporary Indigenous economy, Indigenous entrepreneurship is both the answer and the path forward for the development and cultural survival of African communities.

Critiques the Eurocentric framing of entrepreneurship in Africa and advocates for embracing Indigenous philosophies and practices to foster inclusive, sustainable socio-economic development.Indigenous entrepreneurship involves the use of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) to establish enterprises whose target is not only profit but also socio-economic development of communities, and that differentiates it from mainstream economic activities. Based on this, it is then possible to bring into the conversation the issue of IKS and entrepreneurship in Africa in terms of how the conceptualization and praxis of Indigenous entrepreneurship can be decolonized to unlock and unleash socio-economic development in Africa. For this reason, it matters that Indigenous entrepreneurship does not continue to be subjected to or governed by mainstream economic principles. It should be remembered that before colonial conquest, Indigenous entrepreneurship flourished and led to authentic and inclusive socio-economic development. It was colonialism and settler Eurocentric institutions that subjected Indigenous entrepreneurship to mainstream economic governance regimes leading to its marginalization and in some cases relative demise. Nonetheless, given on one hand the resilience of Indigenous entrepreneurship in terms of surviving the colonial encounter, onslaught, and institutions that should have suffocated and buried it and on the other its potential to spur inclusive socio-economic development, it is now time to revisit and recover it without subjecting it to or seeing it through mainstream economic lenses and the Eurocentric frame. Consequently, this raises three critical but related questions which the book tackles; first, how is entrepreneurship understood and practiced by Indigenous communities in Africa? Second, why is there a need to decolonize the conceptualization and praxis of entrepreneurship in Africa through the logic of IKS and how can this be done? Third, how and to what extent can IKS be leveraged and/or mobilized and unleashed to contribute to socio-economic development in Africa? Against this backdrop, the main goal of the book project therefore is to decolonize within the prism of IKS how Indigenous entrepreneurship is conceptualized, understood, and implemented in Africa. This task should show the poverty of the current understanding and implementation of entrepreneurship in Africa which is couched within a Eurocentric frame. It is now time to transcend the Eurocentric monologue of entrepreneurship to an understanding of how Indigenous communities in various parts of Africa conceptualize and practice entrepreneurship leading to socio-economic development. It is important to amplify the point that since it is the cornerstone of the contemporary Indigenous economy, Indigenous entrepreneurship is both the answer and the path forward for the development and cultural survival of African communities.

Critiques the Eurocentric framing of entrepreneurship in Africa and advocates for embracing Indigenous philosophies and practices to foster inclusive, sustainable socio-economic development.Indigenous entrepreneurship involves the use of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) to establish enterprises whose target is not only profit but also socio-economic development of communities, and that differentiates it from mainstream economic activities. Based on this, it is then possible to bring into the conversation the issue of IKS and entrepreneurship in Africa in terms of how the conceptualization and praxis of Indigenous entrepreneurship can be decolonized to unlock and unleash socio-economic development in Africa. For this reason, it matters that Indigenous entrepreneurship does not continue to be subjected to or governed by mainstream economic principles. It should be remembered that before colonial conquest, Indigenous entrepreneurship flourished and led to authentic and inclusive socio-economic development. It was colonialism and settler Eurocentric institutions that subjected Indigenous entrepreneurship to mainstream economic governance regimes leading to its marginalization and in some cases relative demise. Nonetheless, given on one hand the resilience of Indigenous entrepreneurship in terms of surviving the colonial encounter, onslaught, and institutions that should have suffocated and buried it and on the other its potential to spur inclusive socio-economic development, it is now time to revisit and recover it without subjecting it to or seeing it through mainstream economic lenses and the Eurocentric frame. Consequently, this raises three critical but related questions which the book tackles; first, how is entrepreneurship understood and practiced by Indigenous communities in Africa? Second, why is there a need to decolonize the conceptualization and praxis of entrepreneurship in Africa through the logic of IKS and how can this be done? Third, how and to what extent can IKS be leveraged and/or mobilized and unleashed to contribute to socio-economic development in Africa? Against this backdrop, the main goal of the book project therefore is to decolonize within the prism of IKS how Indigenous entrepreneurship is conceptualized, understood, and implemented in Africa. This task should show the poverty of the current understanding and implementation of entrepreneurship in Africa which is couched within a Eurocentric frame. It is now time to transcend the Eurocentric monologue of entrepreneurship to an understanding of how Indigenous communities in various parts of Africa conceptualize and practice entrepreneurship leading to socio-economic development. It is important to amplify the point that since it is the cornerstone of the contemporary Indigenous economy, Indigenous entrepreneurship is both the answer and the path forward for the development and cultural survival of African communities.

Does the election of more and more women into political offices mean that women’s interests will be better protected? This question forms the background upon which this book is written as it forms a timely intervention concerning the clamour for increased women’s representation in African politics. The book examines the relationship between gender quotas and gender-focused legislative/policy outcomes in the national Parliaments of South Africa and Botswana. By investigating the utility of gender quotas to ensure the substantive representation of women in African politics, the book engages the assumption that increased women’s political participation will automatically improve the qualitative well-being of African women. The book is intended for both academic and non-academic audiences with differing purposes. It contributes to scholarly debates on the transcending relevance of quotas beyond numbers. For non-academics, it provides opportunities to engage gender quotas as a policy tool to ensure the qualitative well-being of African women.

Does the election of more and more women into political offices mean that women’s interests will be better protected? This question forms the background upon which this book is written as it forms a timely intervention concerning the clamour for increased women’s representation in African politics. The book examines the relationship between gender quotas and gender-focused legislative/policy outcomes in the national Parliaments of South Africa and Botswana. By investigating the utility of gender quotas to ensure the substantive representation of women in African politics, the book engages the assumption that increased women’s political participation will automatically improve the qualitative well-being of African women. The book is intended for both academic and non-academic audiences with differing purposes. It contributes to scholarly debates on the transcending relevance of quotas beyond numbers. For non-academics, it provides opportunities to engage gender quotas as a policy tool to ensure the qualitative well-being of African women.

In a time of global backlash against women's rights and gender issues, this book echoes the importance of protecting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women by conceptualising and analysing relevant sexual and reproductive health rights issues (SRHR) in Africa and the Caribbean. It examines the linkages that exist around SRHR issues between the two regions and how this understanding can help to support the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights both in Africa and the Caribbean. It focuses on providing historical, conceptual and contxtual understandings of SRHR issues in the African continent and the Caribbean region. The main topics engage theoretical and contemporary issues, e.g., limitations to the single use of courts as avenues for reducing obstetric violence, abortion rights, maternal mortality, gender-based violence, and adolescent sexuality. The book presents diverse perspectives in the examination of SRHR issues by offering legal, socio-political, and medical frameworks for analysing and understanding sexual and reproductive health and rights. It further contributes to the discourse and strategies to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and men to improve both women’s and men’s quality of life/well-being and to also achieve gender equality.

In a time of global backlash against women's rights and gender issues, this book echoes the importance of protecting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women by conceptualising and analysing relevant sexual and reproductive health rights issues (SRHR) in Africa and the Caribbean. It examines the linkages that exist around SRHR issues between the two regions and how this understanding can help to support the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights both in Africa and the Caribbean. It focuses on providing historical, conceptual and contxtual understandings of SRHR issues in the African continent and the Caribbean region. The main topics engage theoretical and contemporary issues, e.g., limitations to the single use of courts as avenues for reducing obstetric violence, abortion rights, maternal mortality, gender-based violence, and adolescent sexuality. The book presents diverse perspectives in the examination of SRHR issues by offering legal, socio-political, and medical frameworks for analysing and understanding sexual and reproductive health and rights. It further contributes to the discourse and strategies to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and men to improve both women’s and men’s quality of life/well-being and to also achieve gender equality.