Introduction - Chief Editor

Abstract

Not many people in Kenya will openly identify themselves as being feminists. Indeed, the terms ‘feminism’ or ‘feminist’ in many African audiences evoke negative emotions in the minds of many with the pro-feminist running the risk of being shunned and isolated. Feminists are seen as people who behave differently and are in most instances caricatured in the constructed images depicting feminists. Not surprisingly therefore, feminism remains an emotive term even in academic institutions and generates much debate concerning its usefulness. When the word is used even in curricula, it almost always attracts a negative comment on the usefulness of the term and whether the more appropriate terminology to use is gender. There are those who hold that feminism is un-African and tailored to western societies