Women of Tropical Africa

"Women of Tropical Africa" is a comprehensive anthropological study of the lives and roles of women in various societies across the continent, based on extensive field research conducted by the author in the 1950s and 1960s. The book covers topics such as marriage, motherhood, education, work, religion, and politics, and provides insights into the diversity of women's experiences in different cultural contexts. The author challenges prevailing stereotypes of African women as passive and subservient, and instead highlights their agency, creativity, and resilience in the face of social, economic, and political challenges. "Women of Tropical Africa" by Denise Paulme has generally been well-received since its publication in 1963. It is often praised for its detailed and insightful exploration of the lives and experiences of women in Africa, as well as for its groundbreaking approach to feminist anthropology. However, some critics have also noted that the book has been criticized for its Western-centric perspective and for failing to fully account for the agency and voices of the women it portrays. Nonetheless, "Women of Tropical Africa" remains an important and influential work in the fields of anthropology and African studies.