1Kagaayi, J. & Serwadda, D. Curr 4Kagaayi, J., & Serwadda, D. HIV/AIDS Rep (2016) 13: 187. (1904). The History of the HIV/AIDS https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-016- Epidemic in Africa. 0318-8 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-016- 0318-8 2Gardner, J. (2014). Ethical issues in public health promotion. 5Ibid. South African Journal of Bioethics and 6Klugman, J. (2014). Women’s Law, 7(1), 30–33. Health and Human Rights: Public https://doi.org/10.7196/SAJBL.268 Spending on Health and the Military One Decade after the African Women’s 3Nicolson, R. (1994). AIDS: The Protocol. African Human Rights Law Ethical Issues. Missionalia: Southern Journal, 1. African Journal of Mission Studies, 22(3), 227244. Retrieved from https://journals.co.za/docserver/fulltext/ mission/22/3/60.pdf?expires=15589857 99&id=id&accname=guest&checksum= 101299EE469BDB348C5D55A2E54DC 719 UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 26
Local: Female Entrepreneurs 3 Creating Solutions to African Health Problems Grace Stanley Women’s health is entrepreneurship and health, by comparing it with the status of the disproportionately affected by a lack of development of Africa with this quote by researchers Morris and Lewis; funding and infrastructural failings “entrepreneurial societies produce high rates of innovation in medical within health care systems in various processes, products and services”.1 Highlighting this connection between African countries. Simultaneously, entrepreneurial drive and health field innovations in Africa, we see an area African women are known to be where women in Africa can create thriving businesses that have the innovative and effectively respond to ability to solve the health problems they face. the problems they face. Within various medical fields in Africa we see the opportunity for women-led entrepreneurial endeavors to improve women's lives economically, as well as their overall well-being. We can contextualize this crossroad of 10/4/2019
There are endless opportunities when By women pushing against these considering African women’s innovative norms and forming entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial solutions to the ventures they are able to better assess and problems they face. These opportunities are alleviate the health problems they face. hindered by a lack of a hospitable environment for entrepreneurial innovation While women face multiple barriers to in the medical field, especially for women. enter business markets, they also In a general sense, we see women in Africa encounter additional gender-specific health face barriers to entering the free market, issues regarding menstruation and such as a lack of education and health care, maternity. In Africa many women and girls as well as the inability to access business are forced to miss multiple days of school or credit services. 2 To minimize these work every month due to a lack of adequate barriers, the World Health Organization menstrual products, as they are forced to suggests there needs to be improvements in use scrap fabrics, and other products the accessibility of property rights, insufficient for menstrual management. legislative change, and enforcement of However, this issue can be easily fixed, existing laws. if reusable and non-reusable menstrual pads and products were made available. Improvements for women’s standing Although it is important to note, that due to lack of funds, reusable menstrual pads are in these fields, would not only assist them the most plausible solution for many women. These reusable menstrual pads can socioeconomically, but foster greater civic be produced by individuals with basic sewing skills and have the capability to engagement, leading to the overall create a profitable business venture for women. empowerment of African women. Brenda Katwesigye, the founder of Ugandan app InstaHealth, explains, “earning respect as a woman in a male-dominated field can be a challenge. There have been many times I have been called a ‘young girl’ or inexperienced, for no valid reason at all. I feel that sometimes women are taken a little less seriously than their male counterparts in the same positions, especially in business”.3 UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 27
We can look at the study, the gender specific medical concerns “Women Empowering Women they face. However, the difficulty is Through Reusable Sanitary Pads” by that in many cases, they simply lack Lumetega et al which analyzed a the capital, quality resources, or project that trained rural women in financial training that would make Uganda on “entrepreneurial skills such entrepreneurial endeavors and production of affordable reusable successful. sanitary pads.”4 This study found that the women producing these pads had An effective form of African, all of the technical skills to produce women-led entrepreneurship in the market quality reusable pads, medical field has been spearheaded however, lacked the financial know- by female tech gurus. According to how to carry these projects out. Dr. Hempel, we are witnessing a Therefore, with some simple financial phenomenon where the number of management training and micro- African women “who are launching financing, the women were able to and building successful, innovative create reusable pads that were more digital health companies, setting new effective than solutions they had standards and transforming the previously been using. By the end of digital health landscape” is increasing the study, the researchers found that rapidly.6 These innovative women-led the group of women owning the pad - tech solutions to health problems are making enterprise could not meet the made possible by increased access to demand of the 8,000 orders they information technology and mobile received from schools in the area. phones. They could not meet this demand due to lack of funding for materials and lack of sewing machines.5 The need for these pads was apparent, but the capacity for producing these pads was not yet available. There are a multitude of gender- specific medical concerns that directly affect women. African women have the innovative ingenuity to create solutions that would best deal with 10/4/2019
One example of a tech solution is website Jamii Africa is now found in over 5 countries and has over 20,000 Temie Giwa-Tubosun’s system, active users. LifeBanks. LifeBanks obtains blood The difficulty of both of these solutions, however, is that they are donations and then utilizes an online band aid solutions for problems that formal medical care systems should be platform to connect hospitals with blood addressing. While there is great potential for entrepreneurial efforts to banks and medical supplies on an as- create solutions for medical issues in any part of the world, it is also vital to need basis.7 This venture is necessary have strong formal medical institutions that can provide much needed research due to hospitals receiving the correct quality and access. Lack of formal medical systems addressing these blood and medical products at the right problems may be due to lack of governmental or infrastructural time in good condition. LifeBanks runs bandwidth. Or these issues may be due to structural adjustment programs that blood drives to fill their many blood demand money be taken away from health and social services. banks, it has also provided over 14,000 medical products to over 700 hospitals.8 The platform uses mobile technology and artificial intelligence to preserve blood in a cold chain system and sort orders based on urgency and location. Another female entrepreneur that is working to counter medical hardships is Lilian Makoi. Makoi founded Jamii Africa, in order to help alleviate the issue of lack of health insurance, in which over 50 million Tanzanians lack.9 This platform provides the administrative functions of an insurer and makes cheap insurance available for users, starting at $1.10 This is a market based solution to low-income Tanzanians who do not have access to cheap health care. According to their UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 28
The potential in these responses 1Morris, Michael H., and is two fold in that they are both creating solutions for dire problems Pamela S. Lewis. \"Entrepreneurship while simultaneously making a profit, while there is still room for as a Significant Factor in Societal improvement in creating African-led solutions to African health problems. Quality of Life.\" Journal of Business Some African solutions to health were addressed, but this still very much Research 23, no. 1 (1991): 21-36. takes from Western capitalistic viewpoints and that by getting doi:10.1016/0148-2963(91)90056-4. African countries to participate in that arena, things will improve. In 2Addressing the Challenge of this regard we must look at the power relations Africa faces with Western Womens Health in Africa: Report of countries, in regard to development. There is a need to move away from the Commission on Womens Health in Western-led health solutions and male centered business and health the African Region. Brazzaville, fields in order to give women, and Africans in general the means to solve Republic of Congo: World Health the problems they face. Organization, Regional Office for Africa, 2012, p. Xix. 3Pedroncelli, Peter. \"African Female Entrepreneurs Making A Difference With Tech.\" Moguldom. May 09, 2018. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://moguldom.com/146302/10- african-female-entrepreneurs-using- tech-to-make-a-difference/. 4Lumutenga, Naomi, Margaret Khaitsa, Ruth Muwazi, Florence Wakoko-Studstill, Irene Naigaga, Leslie Hossfeld, and Margaret Ralston. \"Women Empowering Women Through Reusable Sanitary Pads.\" Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship 10, no. 1, 141-51, p.141. 5Lumutenga, Women Empowering Women Through Reusable Sanitary Pads, p. 150. 6\"10 Successful Women Digital Health Entrepreneurs in Africa.\" Dr. Hempel Digital Health Network. May 17, 2018. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://www.dr-hempel- network.com/digital_health_contact_li sts/10-successful-women-digital- health-entrepreneurs-in-africa/. 10/4/2019
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA 7Unah, Linus. \"Low Blood 9Hassan, Yossi. \"Meet Jamii Pressure: Tackling the Donation Africa: Microhealth Insurance Startup.\" Shortfall in Nigeria.\" The Guardian. Techstars. February 01, 2017. Accessed September 15, 2017. Accessed June 23, June 23, 2019. 2019. https://www.techstars.com/content/accel https://www.theguardian.com/global- erators/meet-jamii-africa-microhealth- development-professionals- insurance-startup/. network/2017/sep/15/low-blood-pressure- tackling-the-donation-shortfall-in- 10Yossi, Meet Jamii Africa: nigeria. Microhealth Insurance Startup. 8LifeBank Nigeria. Accessed June 23, 2019. https://lifebank.ng/. UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 29
Partnership: Transnational 3 Connections via Midwifery: How Maternal Health Practices Can be Improved through Collaboration in America and Africa Ravyn Granados The narrative surrounding traditional birthing attendants that have been subject to western medicine African wellness is generally focused mediation and reform. At the same time, midwifery has become a recent on health and medical disparities. This medical revival among black American women birthing choices. This becomes problematic representation of a compelling point of intersection and communication between traditional healthcare in Africa contributes to a African health practices and black American empowerment through colonial project of setting African transnational reclamation of the female body. nations in the past and labeling them Stigmas surrounding the validity as primitive. In contrast, the general of African traditional medicine and healthcare subject cultural decisions abundance of holistic medical practices and practices as inferior to western medicine (often deemed “modern” and resources of the land in African medicine). Looking specifically at the practice of midwifery in African nations should be emphasized. There is women’s health care, there are many examples of this stigmatization a wealth of knowledge that present within African community health, finding cures and treatments for ailments like malaria symptoms, dental and oral care, and various fertility or women’s health care. This focus should be the launching point for any and all western medical interventions that occur within Africa. One such traditional practice in African nations is midwifery or 10/4/2019
“ “ in articles focused on the disparity and flaws; westernized practices forced the detriments of midwifery1, rooted in lack of removal of herbal teas and bibles, quality of care, stemming from low funds removing necessary spiritual components and restricted access to medical of traditional birth attendant practice, technology. and continued to demonize midwifery practices as primitive. These programs As a result, the major reform of took ancestral conventions like placenta these practices has been rooted in burial traditions and regulated them into developing new study programs in a system that removed the holistic aspect midwife education.2 These interventions of the practice. are extremely important because they take into consideration a medical practice Western medicinal practices can already present within the tradition learn a lot from traditional African practice and work to improve upon it. In medicine like utilizing holistic and herbal execution, however, the intervention has UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 30
interventions. Midwives are often Looking at the practice of invested in the mother and child as midwifery itself, there is a culture of people, humanizing and communicating decolonization of the body and mind, as with them with empathy and advocating it is a tradition dating back to for their needs. Looking specifically at precolonial periods in Africa. Midwives midwifery, there has been a revival of are viewed as more than birth givers, sorts in the midwife practice among they are also revered spiritual healers black Americans. This cross cultural that act as counselors, doulas, communication through ancient medical nutritionists, and advocates for practices provides ancestral linkages for expecting and new mothers. There is an black Americans and health intense spirituality associated with advancements for African nations where traditional birth attendants (or midwifery is common. These midwives) as most midwives receive a connections become very important vocational call to the practice through considering the silencing and dismissive spiritual directions like dreams or nature of western doctors to black visions. The practices of midwifery are women. The lack of investment in the often passed down through families and person as a whole can cause detrimental within communities, again emphasizing effects in women and their children. the personal investment that midwives Similarly, midwifery in African nations have to the mothers as part of a holistic have limitations in terms of access to medicine practice.3 medical technology and professionals, however there is an increased investment and empathy for the mothers. Marrying these two customs would decrease the mortality of both mother and child.
A big component of midwifery midwives and herself. And in Ghana is spiritual revelations consistent communication between that guide and direct them the needs of the mother and the throughout the pregnancy and birth giver are constant. Now, birth.4 A large part of the midwife western interventions that maintain practice here is rooted in prayer and these cultural and spiritual nuances communication, blessing water, while reducing the risk for infection milk, and malt as well as asking for or birthing complications are the honesty and forgiveness to remove ideal improvements to maternal any evil spirits or taboos that may health care. prevent an easy childbirth. Midwives utilize physical examinations to estimate dilation and positioning of the baby, using their hands and fingers as their main source of measurement. Herbs and drinks are used to pass a retained placenta, and placenta burial practices also determine the livelihood of the child and contribute to the community’s investment in the child. Throughout the entire process of childbirth, the mothers comfort and needs are put first, she is given plants to chew and drinks with herbs that ease pain. She is prayed over and surrounded by spiritual energy that allows for attunement of her body with the Orange By Jana Lang UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 31
In a similar vein, there has been a black women and other people of color recent rival in home birthing practices have opted to reclaim childbirth practices among African-American women and other at home, using doulas and midwives as women of color in America. Black women their primary caregiver because of the in America are at a higher risk of death emphasis on advocacy. This is where an during pregnancy and childbirth. This has intersection between medical practices been linked not only to a public health present in African nations can inform issue but also human rights and social medical practices in America. Medicine justice issue as well. Black women are involves communication and thorough monitored less within hospitals and investment in the patient. The American dismissed when not demonstrating blatant medical system would better accommodate symptoms of illness. This demonstrates an black women by provide care that was intersection of racism and sexism within more patient centered and receptive to the medical field that do not prioritize the their needs. health of black women.5 As a result, many 10/4/2019
While America may have the leading 1Rominski SD, et al. “When the baby medical technology and professionals, there remains there for a long time, it is going to is a lack of communal investment and die so you have to hit her small for the baby empathy. Providing a practice that to come out\": justification of disrespectful incorporates the medical advancement of and abusive care during childbirth among western health with the communal midwifery students in Ghana.” Health responsiveness of African nations will Policy Plan. 2017 Mar 1;32(2):215-224. doi: provide a more holistic, quality birth care. 10.1093/heapol/czw114. In addition to these collaborative 2Edwards, Grace RM, PhD, et al. opportunities in America, there are ways to Developing a work/study programme for utilize trainings that enforce a standard of midwifery education in East Africa. career and expertise among midwifing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2018.01.007. practices in Africa. Some appropriate ways to continue to grow and move forward with 3Aziato, Lydia, et al. Initiation of the establishment of the culture of traditional birth attendants and their midwifery in African countries is to traditional and spiritual practices during recognize that midwifery is a distinct pregnancy and childbirth in Ghana. BMC profession and promote it as a valid career. Pregnancy and Childbirth. This can be done by generating education https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-018-1691-7. programs that align with local cultural practices, are informed by midwives, and 4Ibid. incorporate national health and safety 5“Black Women’s Maternal Health: A regulations. By establishing midwifery as a multifaceted Approach to addressing valid career that grants upward mobility Persistent and Dire Health Disparities.” and engagement in policy, programming, National Partnership. April 2018. implementation, and monitoring of new http://www.nationalpartnership.org/our- midwifery programs, it is easier to grow work/health/reports/black-womens- school and training institutions. With this maternal-health.html mindset, midwifery regulations established by training institutions will not only raise their economic status, but also protect their careers, working conditions, and communities. UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 32
Introduction: Arts Intro 4 Allison Spindler Art can be empowering and The danger of art is also its inclusive or disenfranchising and greatest strength: its ability to reach discriminatory. The use of art to make the masses and create a shared a statement and form a sense of experience. The same art that can be solidarity for collective action is framed used to stereotype and dehumanize an around the existence and threat of an entire race or an entire religious opponent, a target, an enemy, an community, can also be the platform oppressor, that must be challenged. that those without a clear and strong Since the 1800s, the colonial narrative voice use to demand for change. This of Europe has used the arts in the form form of activism, artistic—or more of films and poster boards to portray broadly, creative—activism utilizes a Africans under a derogatory lens, as wide range of visual and performing sub-species to man, needing a strong arts with the purpose of raising critical authoritative presence to become consciousness, building community, civilized. For a more recent attack on and/or motivating individuals to Africa, specifically post-9/11 North promote social change. Through a work Africa, America has used art, of art, the power is in the hands of the particularly screens in the form of creator to interrupt social norms, media and films, to push forward a traditions, and oppressive systematic negative and narrow definition of patterns. At the same time, those Muslims, categorizing them as a engaging with the art become agents of violent collective that is oppressive to change through understanding the call many, including women and to challenge social injustices or Christians. deliberately alter from the normative. 10/4/2019
“The danger of art is also its greatest strength: its ability to reach the masses and create a shared experience. “ Having lost family members in entrepreneurship initiatives today, the the concentration camps of Germany people have been able to defy the during World War II, I have felt the confinement of how others define them, consequences of propagandas’ strong and instead use art to realize the power to keep civilians complacent power of a collective, to form agency, with what was happening, and have and voice their grievances. Instead of seen the impact it held on the being passive victims, they are active generations to follow. On the other and ready to make changes to better hand, my experience living in Morocco their own futures, and the futures of and taking courses for my Arabic major the following generations. at UCLA has taught me the power of media when it is taken up by the people. From artistic activism used during the Arab Spring to social UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 33
Education is not constrained to the and this is more powerful when combined institutions of academia. The music we with art. From Morocco, to Kenya, to listen to, the advertisements that we see, Uganda, it has been paired with artistic the streets with art that we visit, these activism to bring positive changes in the spaces are all capable of teaching us community. BETA- Better Education something. The informal space can be Through Arts, is a Moroccan Social used to empower and create solidarity, Enterprise that aims to empower and within this space, artistic activism Moroccan youth through transforming starts with planting the seed of schools and universities into hubs of awareness, and what follows is the spread creativity and innovation1. Indego Africa, of ideas for change. Whether it is via a lifestyle brand company in Uganda, social entrepreneurship, in the form of works with women artisans through local breaking taboos, or for the purpose of cooperatives to generate income to protest against authority, artistic activism support women and their families, as a whole has grown to be a powerful tool provide them with training to build used by the people for the people. Social profitable and sustainable businesses for entrepreneurship has always been the future, and gain access to promoted in its ability to find solutions to international export markets2. social, cultural, or environmental issues, 10/4/2019
At the same time, artistic 2010. Despite the strict censorship activism used to raise awareness and from the autocratic regime under break taboos connect education with Tunisian President Zine El Abidine advocacy for topics including health Ben Ali, his song became the anthem and women rights. From Malawi to of the Tunisian Revolution, and his South Africa, to Senegal, initiatives persistence motivated countless have been made to bring up issues Tunisians to come together and that have been silenced. MASA, Make protest6. Fela Kuta, a Nigerian Art for Sustainable Actions, uses Afrobeat pioneer, wrote a song “Coffin participatory film, theatre and for Head to State” describing how performing arts in Malawi to inspire military thugs raided his house and bold conversations and actions for threw his mother out of the second HIV, gender-based violence, and story window. Together with his nutrition3. Dirty Laundry, an supporters, he marched his mother’s initiative started by South African coffin to the Presidential compound to artists Nondumiso Msimanga and make a statement of the corruption Jenny Nijenhuis, uses the hanging of and violence of those in power7. The 3,600 pairs of used underwear on a same type of outrage can be seen 1.2km-long washing line above the recently, with the iconic Alaa Salah, a streets of Johannesburg to represent Sudanese woman dressed in a white the 3,600 rapes that are estimated to thobe, leading protest songs against take place in South Africa every day4. President Omar al-Bashir in the Dieynaba, Senegal’s first female capital of Sudan. Her outfit provoked graffiti artist, uses her art to show the mass to remember their mothers solidarity and highlight the issues and grandmothers who had been women face including health and demonstrating against previous access to education5. military dictatorships in the mid-20th century, and contributing to Lastly, protest via artistic President Omar al-Bashir being activism has been transformative successfully ousted on April 11, 20198. across Africa. From Tunisia, to Nigeria, to Sudan, voices have risen to challenge the regime in power. Rais Lebled, sung by Tunisian rapper El General, was released in December UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 34
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The future of art in Africa has many However, I believe that this is a unique potentials, and these are to be discovered time where Western institutions are by the voices, hands, and feet of local artists looking for ways to give away its dominant and those who partake in artistic activism. narrative, and instead allow more access to Together, the artists and the audience form the perspectives that it has historically a powerful source of popular education via silenced. In publishing this article in art production and active participation. Not UCLA’s first undergraduate African only can this raise awareness for issues Studies Center Journal, it is my attempt on that have been ignored as a whole by behalf of the University to emphasize the society, it can cause transformational shifts importance of transitioning from a Western in power and institutional dynamics. At the perspective of Africa created through the same time, it offers those without access to arts and media to an understanding of self- invited or formal spaces to be empowered defined art evolving within Africa that through the process of producing art. By provides agency. In addition, my vision is challenging the art forms created by those that the work published in this Journal will who see Africa as a singular unit of also expand the awareness of the artistic problems, artistic activists can take control activism movements currently taking place on the issues that matter the most to in Africa and its future potentialities. themselves, and redefine who they are in relation to their surroundings. In writing this article, I recognize my background of being half German Jewish and half Chinese American, and am cautious of my voice when writing about artistic activism within Africa- this is a moment to be self-critical. I do not hold all the knowledge on artistic activism, nor have I lived or interacted with the many works within artistic activism in all the countries that I mentioned in this article. UCLA AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER 35
1 Svirsky, Meria. “Hind 9Fela Kuti. Coffin for Head of Touissate: Changemaking in Morocco State. Lagos: Universal Records, Through Art.” The Clarion Project. 25 1980. “I Was Raised to Love Our February 2016. Home: Sudan’s Singing Protester”. https://clarionproject.org/hind- The Guardian. 10, April, 2019. touissate-changemaking-morocco- https://www.theguardian.com/global- through-art/. development/2019/apr/10/alaa-salah- sudanese-woman-talks-about-protest- 2 Mitro, Tom. Indego Africa. photo-that-went-viral. Indego Africa. 2019. http://www.indegoafrica.org. 10LeVine, M. “When Art Is the Weapon: Culture and Resistance 3 “Make Art/Stop AIDS”. Art Confronting Violence in the Post- and Global Health Centre Africa. 21 Uprisings Arab World.” Religions 6, August, 2018. (2015): 1277-1313. https://www.artgloafrica.org/masa. 11Lind, Peter Lykke, “Dirty 4 Lind, Peter Lykke, “Dirty Laundry: Washing Line Art Laundry: Washing Line Art Highlights South Africa’s Rape Highlights South Africa’s Rape Epidemic”. The Guardian. 2 Epidemic”. The Guardian. 2 December, 2016. December, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2 016/dec/02/dirty-laundry-washing- 016/dec/02/dirty-laundry-washing- line-art-highlights-south-africas- line-art-highlights-south-africas- epidemic. epidemic. 12Mitro, Tom. Indego Africa. 5 Shryock, Ricci. “Meet Indego Africa. 2019. Dieynaba: Senegal’s First Female http://www.indegoafrica.org. “Make Graffiti Artist.” One Campaign. 6 Art/Stop AIDS”. Art and Global November 2018. Health Centre Africa. 21 August, https://www.one.org/africa/blog/meet- 2018. dieynaba-senegals-first-female- https://www.artgloafrica.org/masa. graffiti-artist/. 13Shryock, Ricci. “Meet 6 Rashed, Waleed. “Egypt’s Dieynaba: Senegal’s First Female Murals Are More than Just Art, They Graffiti Artist.” One Campaign. 6 Are a Form of Revolution.” November 2018. Smithsonian Magazine. (2013). https://www.one.org/africa/blog/meet- dieynaba-senegals-first-female- 7 Fela Kuti. Coffin for Head of graffiti-artist/. State. Lagos: Universal Records, 1980.“I Was Raised to Love Our 14Svirsky, Meria. “Hind Home: Sudan’s Singing Protester”. Touissate: Changemaking in Morocco The Guardian. 10, April, 2019. Through Art.” The Clarion Prokect. https://www.theguardian.com/globald 25 February 2016. evelopment/2019/apr/10/alaa-salah- https://clarionproject.org/hind- sudanese-woman-talks-about-protest- touissate-changemaking-morocco- photo-that-went-viral. through-art/. 10/4/2019
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