Abstract
This essay approaches the literary production by female intellectuals who opposed Portuguese colonialism in Africa, recognising their active role in history, as well as the cultural and political processes that influenced their writing and its repercussions. Experiencing multiple forms of subalternity – of class, race and gender – women like Alda Espírito Santo, Alda Lara, Noémia de Sousa Deolinda Rodrigues and Manuela Margarido were committed to the creation of new ways of writing and forms of conceiving the world. Playing a fundamental role in the literary, political and cultural environment of the second half of the 20th century, they circulated in spaces in which they questioned male hegemony, discussing gender issues and exercising multiple forms of resistance. This article will consider how the demands of women in the process of political decolonisation have often been reduced to the label of ‘women’s issues’, the idea of unification of struggles having been privileged instead.
Highlights
1 Intersections and Production of Historical Narratives about Anti-Colonial and Black Cultural Movements1. Intellectuals such as Paulette Nardal, Suzanne Césaire, Alda Espírito Santo, Alda Lara, Noémia de Sousa and Deolinda Rodrigues had, in the last century, a determining role in the anti-colonial struggle and in the creation of networks aimed at this struggle: they participated in newspapers, magazines, produced prose and poetry, asserting themselves in the literary, political, and cultural environment of the time
If the Casa dos Estudantes do Império (CEI) and its connections with the Présence Africaine and other African literary movements was fundamental, let us remember that the well-known Casa da tia Andreza (Aunt Andreza’s House), at Rua Actor Vale 37, in Lisbon, was a crucial place of assemblage
It was the address of the headquarters of the Centre of African Studies, whose secretariat was held by Noémia de Sousa (Mata 2015, 33): Aunt Andreza was the aunt of Alda Espírito Santo
Summary
Many of the writers mentioned attended and were active members of the CEI, participating actively both in the cultural struggle against Portuguese colonialism and the Salazarist regime and in the constitution of the foundations of the future independent territories. If the works this article has dealt with constitute a valuable source of information about the daily life of women in the colonised territories and their living conditions, they help demonstrating how their production was under-represented at the time and continues to be so These women writers, who – it must be stressed – were often part of the elite, enjoying privileges that were not common to most of the population of the colonial territories in Africa, contributed to the cultural struggle for fairer societies and for the representation of the oppressed in their societies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
