Voices of African Women

Book excerpt: Voices of African Women is a collection of essays by accomplished women's rights lawyers from Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania. In the last decade, women's human rights have been the focus of significant attention at the international level. There remains, however, a dearth of information concerning the application and relevance of international norms at grassroots levels within Africa. There are few works about women's human rights within Africa that are actually written by African women lawyers and human rights activists. This book offers a glimpse into the lives of women in Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania; it describes -- in their own words -- the challenges these activists face in implementing international human rights norms at the local and national levels. "The contributors are a unique set of talented analysts... Introductions for each chapter are by Johanna Bond, whose precise summaries and analyses of the topics systematize what would otherwise be repetitive evidence found in similar circumstances in these African countries. Summing Up: Recommended." -- CHOICE Magazine, November 2005 "The book is well worth space on...professionals' bookshelves." -- African Studies Association, 2006 "The book is useful and essential reading for anyone interested in women's rights in Africa. This has to be the most detailed and up-to-date book on women's rights in this region." -- Modern African Studies