English

Abstract

Globally, cases of the so called gender inequality are on increase as social transformation towards modernity and liberal lives. This situation has seriously been contested and reported on matters related to land ownership, employment, education, gender-based violence, marriage lives, decision-making, power struggles, freedom of choice and so forth. Despite its existence, it has been evolving over time in terms of its manifestations, magnitudes and interpretations in Africa. This paper has surveyed literatures on its changing nature in Africa. It underscored the bounding discourses from pre to post-colonial Africa. Findings revealed that, what is contemporarily regarded as inequalities across gender lens among Africans is the new interpretations assigned by the westerners on the influences of liberalism and western democracies contrary to the deep rooted African traditions. As such, some Africans have been dancing the drum which has created economic, political and socio-cultural chaos in the continent. These new perceptions assigned on African gender relations have extensively eroded the African traditional lives based on mutual respect and agreement across gender lens. Africans and other gender actors should understand that, the trajectory of gender relations in African communities has been affected by the new interpretations triggered by the external influences and aspirations. Therefore, Africans should dance it on the benchmark of their long rooted ancestral traditional norms.   Key words: Modernism, Gender Relations, Africa, Historical Discourses.