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Highlights from the Addis Ababa Summer School

The Summer School held from October 7 to 15 at the Centre français d’études éthiopiennes in Addis Ababa gathered students and scholars for an enriching exchange on African history. We would like to extend our deepest thanks to the Centre for its hospitality and support in making this event possible. Nine selected students from African universities had the unique opportunity to engage with professors and researchers in discussions, sharing critical perspectives, enhancing their understanding, and advancing their research ideas and skills.

Some of the students during the coffee break

The first days of the Summer School featured interactive lectures on topics central to African history and the project Women at work. Pierre Guidi launched the Summer school with a session on oral and social history, followed by Elena Vezzadini, who explored in her lesson different ways to approach colonial sources and deal with subaltern studies. On day two, Anne Hugon and Tirsit Sahledengle led an insightful day-lecture on Gender in History and Social Sciences, discussing the evolving definitions of gender within literature and in history. Day three included a compelling session on Economic and Labor History, presented by Elena Vezzadini and Karin Pallaver, who examined the role of women in African economies and the reliability of colonial censuses.

The fourth day focused on practical skills, with a “mutual aid” workshop led by Domenico Cristofaro. The workshop covered essential topics for PhD students: surviving the doctoral journey, crafting an effective academic presentation, and navigating the publication process. In this session everyone  shared tips and insights to improve research outcomes.

Lloyd Melusi Maphosa conducted the final day, providing participants with hands-on training in Quantitative Methodology in History. This interactive session not only enhanced participants’ knowledge but also offered new methodological tools to support their ongoing research projects.

Beyond the lectures, participants had the chance to explore Addis Ababa’s rich culture and history. From relaxing to Ethio jazz at the African Jazz Village and learning about injera-making on the Intoto hills to visiting the Ethnographic Museum, the stunning St. George’s Cathedral, Haile Selassie’s Palace, and the university, everyone experienced the heart of Addis. Local culinary experiences also left a lasting impression, offering a delicious introduction to the best Ethiopian cuisine.

Our guide Sisay explaining the history of St. George Church

The final two days were dedicated to a mock conference in which each student presented their researches on topics relevant to the project (see the full programme of the conference here). These sessions were more than presentations—they were lively discussions and critiques, enabling all participants to gain fresh insights and refine their research focus.

A presentation during the mock conference

This intense, fruitful week brought students, researchers, and professors together in a meaningful learning experience, building networks and fostering a commitment to advancing research in African history. We hope that the connections made, and knowledge shared during this Summer School will inspire continued collaboration and research into the history of female professions in Africa.

Thank you to all participants!

New workshop approaching: Photography as a source for social history

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our newest workshop, focusing on the intersection between social history and photography as a source.

Photographs undoubtedly serve as sources for understanding social history. Through engaging discussions, interactive sessions, and expert-led presentations, participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the role of images in shaping our understanding of the past.

We will host guests with different disciplinary perspectives who will share their expertise and insights on the subject.

The detailed program can be found here.

Best

Domenico

Female labour history in Ethiopia: Daniel Worku introduces his project

My name is Daniel Worku Kebede. I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our neighborhood is similar to many underprivileged neighborhoods of Addis Ababa, which are highly inhabited and filled with shanty houses. Despite our diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, our social lives were deeply intertwined. Our livelihood was based on small and informal businesses such as selling local beers and other everyday workings. I grew up in this neighborhood, witnessing people made their best effort to overcome poverty.

In my family, I am the youngest, and as a child, I had the opportunity to learn and spend more time with my older brother. He was an excellent storyteller who used to tell me wonderful tales about Ethiopian kings, battles, and interesting geographical information. Since then, I’ve developed an interest in Ethiopian and world history, and I hope to pursue a formal academic education in the future. When I finished high school, I enrolled in Addis Abeba University and studied history under distinguished teachers, which was the best opportunity of my life. After I graduated in 2010 hired by Arba Minch University as a graduate assistant in History Department. A year later I returned again to Addis Ababa University to pursue my Master’s degree in history. I finished my Master’s thesis with a rarely awarded grade ‘Excellent’ and moved back to Arba Minch University and served as a history lecturer for a decade.

My primary research interests are in social and religious history in general, with a special focus on women’s history that began while I was a Master’s student at Addis Ababa University. My thesis was titled “The Role of Women in Addis Ababa Mainline Evangelical Churches, 1960-2012”; and through my study project, I was able to speak with several women who endured persecution for their beliefs and made sacrifices, only to be rejected by male “chauvinists” later on. This gave me insight into the sacrifices made by women across a range of professions and helped me to truly sympathize with the struggles that women face in all fields.

Women have made significant socio-economic contributions to society, yet their role and history have long been underappreciated. They were marginalized by Ethiopian historiography, which gives better attention to upper class and a few elite women. Ordinary women of Ethiopia do not get the deserved place in historical study. This awareness, gained through my research for my Master thesis, further bolstered my motivation to learn and so came to believe strongly that academics ought to thoroughly and methodically study women’s status and roles. Their history must be told from their vantage point to highlight their experiences, struggle and worldviews mainly based on oral sources.

In the meanwhile, I came across the Women at Work ERC project. My interest is aroused by the project’s theme, which aims on women’s place and function in distinct and different labor patterns as well as the historical changes in the profession along with advancements in politics and technology. This scholarship will allow me to focus on history of women and their urban working conditions. In light of Ethiopia’s historical background, the accessibility of sources, and the significance of the research, my research proposal will focus on potters and weavers as case studies to cast light on women female urban informal workers.

In metropolitan regions, one of the most ignored and undervalued sectors where a large number of women works is the informal business sector. Growing up in impoverished circumstances, I was exposed to street vendors, beer vendors, weavers, potters, and other everyday workers who showed unwavering resilience in the face of adversity. Weavers and potters were among the urban workers who experienced social marginalization in the past, despite their significant socio-economic contributions to society. Their tenacity and the methods they employ to live and prosper motivated me. This early encounter has since inspired me to pursue full-fledged research.

My motivation for this PhD thesis is to investigate the involvement of urban women in the informal economy, specifically concentrating on potters and weavers. The study spans from the foundation of Addis Ababa in 1886 to the downfall of the Derg regime in 1991. The long chronological framework aims to illuminate the evolution, change, and continuity of women’s urban working lives from the early stages of urbanization to the imperial and socialist regimes. The study intends to adopt a bottom-up approach to illustrate more stories and experiences of everyday women by primarily relying on oral sources.

In addition, I want to look into how urban women workers in the informal sector have contributed to Addis Ababa’s socio-economic growth from the city’s early years and examine the complex relationships that women have with their families and the urban community. Moreover, the study will investigate the spatial issues and social exclusion that women potters and weavers have experienced in the city vis-a-vis government policies and initiatives aimed at improving their lot under various regimes. Lastly, it aims to reveal how women participate in the production process of weaving and pottery, how their products are marketed, and how they make a living.

The Women at Work Project excites me because it offers a fantastic chance to work with other academics and students to conduct innovative research on urban labour and gender history. I do not doubt that the team working on this research will be able to accomplish seminal work in women’s urban working lives in Africa. I am confident that our effort will achieve the project’s intended objectives and become a groundbreaking study for further academic work.

 

A Wolayta woman from Addis Ababa 1928, photo by Marcel Griaule (Source: Twitter/X)

Researching dressmaking in Ghana: welcome Juliet Tiwaah Adu Boahen in the Womatwork project!

Hello everyone!

I am Juliet Tiwaah Adu Boahen, a young historian from Ghana who takes an interest in women and children’s health and educational history, from colonial and early post-colonial Ghana. I obtained my bachelor’s degree from the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, in 2017, where I studied History with Geography Education. In 2020, I obtained a Master of Philosophy in History Education from the University of Education, Winneba, a joint program with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. My MPhil thesis title was “Malnutrition, Maternal and Infant Mortality and the Making of Domesticity in Gold Coast and Ghana, 1920-1966”. There I examined how the colonial governments in the Gold Coast envisaged the teaching of Domestic Science in schools and its incorporation into the school curriculum would help control malnutrition. With this, I identified the colonial and the first post-colonial government’s health and educational measures used to prevent malnutrition and how these measures unintendedly, made the home a place for mothers and women. Thanks to my master’s thesis research I published in 2023 the essay ‘Female Education and Domesticity in the Gold Coast and Ghana, 1920-1966′ in the book “Education in Ghana: History and Politics” published by Langaa Research & Publishing CIG, Bamenda.

Being passionate about teaching history and my desire to gain additional knowledge and skills in the writing and teaching of African history, I was motivated to pursue a PhD. I developed an interest in the Wom@work project because of the specification on using history to tell the stories of working women. Therefore, I intend to situate my project within the broader theme of the Wom@work project, to explore how female dressmakers, from 1919 to 1970, contributed to the growth and development of both the colonial and post-colonial economies through their sartorial skills.

In this project, I intend to work on women and the dressmaking profession to ascertain whether the sewing machine offered a symbolic meaning or some form of social security to women in the Gold Coast and Ghana. Interestingly, in 2019, when one of my younger sisters had completed university and was awaiting graduation, she discussed with me her dream to combine professional teaching with dressmaking. It sounded mirthful. However, I was fascinated by her explanations of how she can use her leisure time and holidays to make dresses for people to generate additional income. Then, also, in February 2023, when one of my friends was getting married, her father requested a Singer sewing machine as part of her dowry. We found it amusing as friends made jokes because we did not understand why her father was asking for a sewing machine for a professional teacher and not anything in relation to her career. Upon second thought, I realised my grandmother, a farmer, had a sewing machine, and my aunt, whom I lived with, had also a sewing machine, although she was a professional teacher.

The connections from these personal encounters aroused my interest when I read about the theme for this PhD project. Through observation, I became aware of the fact that most parents and guardians request sewing machines for their daughters as part of their dowries in Southern Ghana. If my 95-year-old grandmother had hers when getting married, there must be a historical connection with women, sewing machines, and work in the Gold Coast and Ghana. I seek to use this project to investigate the past and discover how dressmaking became a predominantly female profession and found its way into Ghanaian culture.

Looking back before colonial rule, tailors were predominantly men. However, the first wave of missionaries’ education for young women and its focus on dressmaking and other domestic science subjects influenced a lot of women to become dressmakers. Despite the formal training women received in missionary schools like Mmofraturo in Kumasi, the informal training system, known as apprenticeship, also existed. Apart from the financial gains women derived from being dressmakers, they also gained social recognition. Affirming this, Jean Allman in her article, “Making Mothers: Missionaries, Medical Officers and Women’s Work in Colonial Asante, 1924 -1945”, published in 1994, uses the case of Mary Anokye, a princess of Tafo who received training in Mmofraturo to become a professional dressmaker, also had the opportunity to marry a catechist.

Despite dressmaking being a popular urban profession for women in colonial and post-colonial times, female dressmakers are often understudied. I seek to historicise female dressmakers within the broader context of urban professions in both the colonial and post-colonial settings to tease out how dressmaking shaped women’s lives. To do this, I will first trace a history of dressmaking in the context of urban working-class women and female labour on the Gold Coast. I will also explore the working ethos, system of pricing, values, environment, and professionalism in dressmaking during colonial and post-colonial Ghana, explore how dressmakers influenced politics and nationalism through their sartorial skills, examine the influence of urbanisation and globalisation on dressmaking in the colonial and post-colonial epochs and then analyse the cultural, economic and social impacts of dressmaking on women in colonial and post-colonial times.

Through this project, I look forward to learning new methodologies and perspectives on African history to help conduct research on women and children in the future. I extend my greetings to all project members and wish you the best of luck as we begin this task.

Source: Central Office of Information, Needlework Lesson in Gold Coast, 1942-1964. Reference: INF 10/121(29) Retrieved online on 6 December 2023.

Thanks to all the participants of Creative Methodologies Conference!

Dear all,
I want to extend my gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed to the success of the Creative Methodologies Conference. These past few days have been truly intense but incredibly rewarding, filled with captivating discussions and insights.
This inaugural conference marks a crucial first step in the Womatwork Project, and I am thrilled to acknowledge the pivotal role your feedback and presentations played in advancing our work. Your thoughtful contributions have significantly enriched the project, providing new perspectives and shaping its trajectory.
The discussions on novel approaches to sources, creative and innovative methodologies, and every other insight shared with us will contribute both analytically and methodologically to the future development of the project.
I’m also excited to share that the conference videos will soon be uploaded to our website!
Once again, thank you all for your dedication, enthusiasm, feedbacks, insightful questions and scholarly contributions. It was a pleasure to have such a vibrant and engaged group, and I look forward to the opportunity of meeting each one of you again soon.
A presto!
Elena Vezzadini & Domenico Cristofaro

Call for papers: Creative Methodologies

Writing the stories of working women from popular classes in African urban milieux, 1920-1970

This conference seeks to address the problems of researching and writing the history of female urban professionals, that is women who earned an income by working in professions such as birth attendants, beauty specialists (hairdressers, beauticians), market vendors, craftswomen (tailors, pottery makers), wedding singers and musicians, and so on.

While putting in the same category heterogenous female professions is problematic, it is possible to maintain that this has a relevant heuristic value. Comparing the histories of urban professional women in different African countries is essential for gendering the history of African labour. Indeed, the story of the migration of the (male) labour force in African cities has been broadly explored, but the consequences on women are yet to be fully understood. As the populations of cities transformed deeply with the increase in the number of women, female professions began to diversify. We need to bring back to history working women as historical agents and show their centrality in the making of the colonial and post-colonial urban fabrics.

However, how to do so? The aim of this conference is to reflect together on what it is perhaps the most obvious common points that these workers shared (and still share): the silence of historiography about them; their almost total absence from national master narratives, including stories of national liberation; their lack of subjectivity as historical actors. This silence in turn recalls another absence, that of archives. Compared to a number of political subjects which generated interminable reports – today kept in colonial and official archives – we are confronted with a scarcity of direct (textual) traces documenting the lives, the situations and the working conditions of these women.

How to address these silences is the core question of this conference. We maintain here that they can be broken through methodologies that require creativity, imagination, and courage. It is necessary to dare venturing into other disciplines (anthropology, sociology) and to mix qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It also requires to be ready to tackle and combine very different typologies of sources, which sometimes push historians out of their comfort zones. As working women are the subject of dozens of pictures in photographic archives, photography has a special place in this conference. However, other sources of great interest are represented by vernacular literature, poetry, and songs. At the same time, we must engage too with sources that are generally used by historians: statistical graphs, population censuses, health bulletins, cadastres, market minutes, and parish records. Traces of women may also be found in the rich political literature of these dense times, in trade union records, activists’ reports, and tracts written by left-wing parties, which in various parts of Africa were historically engaged with the popular classes. Last but not least, oral history, which in itself raises a host of questions related to the possibility of recovering the memory of female workers who were often stigmatized. This in turn calls into question notions such as marginality, racial and ethnic discrimination, exploitation, and sometimes slave background, and thus the writing of subaltern histories. Yet, we make the choice here to see the workers first of all as agents and actors of history, even if amidst difficult and often exploitative conditions of work.

Hence, we solicit interventions that focus on innovative and creative methodologies and reflect on the opportunities but also challenges of using different types of sources to recover, as much as possible, the lives and work experiences of urban professional women.

We would particularly welcome interventions on the relation between sources and the relation to the history of women, including but not limited to:

  • Photography as a methodology
  • Vernacular and popular literature (poetry, novels)
  • The vernacular press
  • Folk songs and music
  • Quantitative sources
  • Oral sources
  • Diaries, biographies, family papers

This conference is part of the ERC project “Women at Work, for a comparative history of African urban professionals in four African Countries (Sudan, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania) 1920-1970”, and is sponsored by the European Research Commission.

By WomatWork Collective