Emancipação feminina em questão: tensões e disputas simbólicas na independência angolana

Abstract

During the armed struggle (1961-1974), the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) addressed women liberation and sought to include women in a host of political, logistical, andmilitary positions. On the other hand, during the last phase of colonialism, changes in economic activities, inthe access to formal schooling, and in urban sociability meant an increased female presence in public spaces and a greater likelihood of transgressing, here and there, hegemonic gender roles. Along with independence, women liberation was highlighted vis à vis the possibility of promoting radical changes in the social structure, as well as the framework of internal conflict and disruption of economic production. For the new government, it was crucial to frame women in the tasks of “nation rebuilding”. For many women, it was about to affirm their interest in taking part in the making of the new independent order, as well as to articulate social expectations and challenge certain gender roles. This paper examines the symbolic disputes on women liberation after independence, seeking to identify the tensions which marked the search for gender equality in Angola.