Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí

**Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí** (born 10 November 1957) be Nigerian gender scholar. She be full professor of sociology wey she sanso dey serve as professor for de Departments of Africana Studies den Women's Gender den Sexuality Studies for Stony Brook University, according to Stony Brook News. Oyewumi get wide portfolio wey cover more dan three decades of teaching, research den intellectual leadership for academia before she officially retire for Spring 2025. Oyewumi research interests, even though dem mainly focus on West Africa den Africa as whole, still spread across different epistemologies den theories like gender, feminist, postcolonial. She dey use dese lense to break down den challenge Western perspectives on dema former colonies. She get ein bachelor’s degree for political science for University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, wey she later go pursue ein graduate degree for sociology for University of California, Berkeley. Oyěwùmí be winner of de African Studies Association 2021 Distinguished Africanist Award. Dis award dey recognize den honour people wey contribute dema lifetime to outstanding scholarship for African studies, plus service to de Africanist community.

Oyewumi get global presence as ein scholarship spread wey people read den criticize am across continents, both insyd den outsyd academics. Ein global scholarly reach bring am plenty invites for keynote lectures den talk shows across different countries for de world: Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Norway den Portugal. Ein speaking engagements dey include lectures for institutions, like Freie Universität Berlin wer she deliver strong lecture on decolonizing knowledge, den de Shirley Graham den W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture for Colgate University. 

Insyd ein contribution to over thirty years of Women Writing African Women's den Gendered Worlds, historian Nwando Achebe identify **Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí** as one of de women scholars wey get West African descent (especially from Nigeria). Dema migration go Europe den North America be part of de bigger “brain drain” phenomenon wey dey affect African higher education.

For ein 1997 monograph *The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses*, she present postcolonial feminist critique against Western dominance insyd African studies. De book later win de American Sociological Association 1998 Distinguished Book Award for de Gender and Sex category.

## Early life den education
Dem born Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí on 10 November 1957 insyd Ògbómọ̀ṣọ́, Nigeria. She educate at de University of Ibadan (UI), wer she study political science. During ein time at UI, she take a sociology course wey lef a "deep impression," wich influence am to study sociology insyd graduate school. Then, insyd graduate school at de University of California, Berkeley, she enroll insyd ein first sociology of gender seminar.

Thru taking such a course, she dey state,I was shocked by the grand and grandiose claims being made about women of all societies and from all times: claimed that women are powerless... because Western societies looked a certain way, then all other societies had to be like that.
Oyěwùmí be intrigued by dese claims secof, ein culture of origin, de Yorúba, get a social organisation primarily based on Seniority, wer gender be only a secondary anaa tertiary characteristic. Oyěwùmí realize say chaw theorizations of gender lack a critical appraisal of de applicability of dese concepts insyd chaw cultures, wey dey include ein own. Understanding de implications of Western theories den concepts on non-western countries be an area of interest give Oyěwùmí.

## ''The Invention of Women''
In *The Invention of Women*, Oyěwùmí presents modern Yoruba gender stratification as a Western colonial construct. She states that the woman question and binary gender are ideas that stem from the West, effectively eliminating their validity in analyzing gender relations within African society; she specifically speaks to the nonsexist and gender-neutral nature of the Yoruba language. Through this deconstruction, she introduces an alternate method of understanding both Western and Yoruba cultures in the modern world.

Oyěwùmí start by naming biological determinism as the main thing for Western understanding of gender. This idea talk say biological differences dey act like organizing principle for societies, but na Western philosophy wey no fit apply to Yoruba societies, because Yoruba no dey use body as basis for social roles. She explain how colonial institutions impose this biological way of understanding gender on Yoruba. She also address the wahala inside feminist theory wey dey claim say gender na social construct and say women subjugation dey universal.

She talk say Western feminism beliefs about gender no fit apply or make sense for all cultures, and she use her own Yoruba culture as example. She explain say for Yoruba society, gender no ever dey socially constructed na relative age wey be the main organizing principle.

If anything, my work na the ultimate evidence say gender na truly socially constructed. E no come from heaven, e no come from nature na categories wey people create historically and culturally. Wetin my work actually do na to confirm the idea say gender na socially constructed.

She argue say culture no fit be explanation for anything, because white supremacy and imperialism don create dominant and subordinate cultures for society wey don turn Eurocentric opinion into fact. She call am “cultures of impunity.” Oyěwùmí also criticize Western feminism for building one homogeneous and ethnocentric structure wey dey similar to modern capitalist society. She describe how black women don dey silenced and objectified inside feminism, and this one dey lead to unequal representation plus feminist agreements wey only reflect the dominant white voices. Oyěwùmí point out the irony for this matter, because feminist theory suppose dey try destabilize oppressive patriarchal systems globally. This contradiction make her believe say black women need new scholarly space wey go represent them well. So, she call for creation of one new field wey she name “African Gender Studies,” separate from elitist white feminism, and wey fit properly understand and acknowledge African culture perspectives on gender and womanhood.

According to Nigerian writer Bibi Bakare‑Yusuf, while Oyěwùmí’s work rightly challenge gender stratification as Western import, her conclusion dey based on faulty reasoning of language determinism. Oyěwùmí dey rely heavy on the lack of gendered expressions and the plenty presence of age expressions inside Yoruba language to prove say these categorizations dey familiar or no dey familiar to the society. But Bakare‑Yusuf argue say the threat of mistranslation dey work both ways. Just as Yoruba get fewer systems of gendering, Western cultures fit also get fewer systems of ageing. Oyěwùmí’s work suppose serve as naming of culturally specific systems, but e no be testimony say these systems no fit exchange or translate. Additionally, academics for African studies like Carole Boyce Davies don critique Oyěwùmí’s perspective on gender for Africa as static, and say her argument about the lack of gender for Yoruba no get enough historical research about Yoruba societal stratification before colonialism.

Historian Nwando Achebe discuss Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí’s argument say gender, as social category, no too dey present for precolonial Yoruba society inside her article Twenty‑Five Years of Women Writing African Women’s and Gendered Worlds*.* Achebe note say Oyěwùmí support this claim through linguistic analysis and by putting emphasis on seniority instead of biological sex as the main organizing principle inside her book *The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourses.* Achebe argue say this interpretation dey different from her own findings, and also from Amadiume own. Achebe summarize Oyěwùmí position as saying Yoruba women no dey viewed as inferior to men before colonial rule, with social hierarchy mainly shaped by age instead of gender.

## Views on sexuality den precolonial Africa
In her work on African gender systems, Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí don get citation from historian Nwando Achebe inside *Twenty‑Five Years of African Women Writing African Women’s and Gendered Worlds* as one of the African‑born scholars wey dey part of the long debate about whether institutions like woman‑to‑woman marriage show say homosexuality dey inside precolonial African societies. Achebe describe the exchange as “contentious,” noting say both Oyěwùmí and Amadiume don argue say these institutions no suppose be interpreted as evidence of homosexuality for precolonial Igbo and Yoruba cultures.Achebe’s stance get more nuance. She talk say she no dey claim complete absence of homosexuality for precolonial Africa, but she believe say scholars, especially those from the West, don misinterpret indigenous institutions by applying contemporary Western categories of sexual orientation. In the end, Nwando Achebe no totally disagree with Oyěwùmí instead, she dey consider other factors and possibilities.

## Scholarly Impact
Other scholars don take Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí dem work, dem dey analyze how colonial influence take affect Yoruba gender system.

For the book chapter Taming Cereberus: Against Racism, Sexism, and Oppression in Colonial and Postcolonial Nigeria inside Remembering Women Differently, historian Maria Martin reference Oyěwùmí argument say precolonial Yoruba society no dey arrange social roles based on biological sex. Martin agree say colonialism really help separate genders for Yoruba society. But she still talk say small "power disparity" dey between the sexes that time. The way she use the word "however" show say she dey engage the argument with nuance. She no totally dismiss Oyěwùmí point, but she dey suggest say gender imbalance fit don dey small before colonization happen.

Nigerian philosopher Olalade Abiodun Balogun don also use Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí work for him analysis of Yoruba gender system. For Proverbial Oppression of Women in Yoruba African Culture: A Philosophical Overview, Balogun identify Oyěwùmí as one of the African scholars wey dey challenge Western feminist assumption say gender na universal social category. He describe her argument as "pertinently fascinating", and he note her claim say gender na socio-cultural construct wey no dey operate the same way for all societies. Balogun summarize Oyěwùmí position say for precolonial Yoruba society, social roles and status no dey depend on biological body, but na seniority and social relationships dey determine am. He talk say gender division na mainly Western influence bring am. But Balogun add say the fact say Yoruba society no get rigid gender categories no mean say women no dey oppressed. He cite Yoruba proverbs wey, according to am, dey belittle women rights, integrity and freedom.

For one 2014 article wey dem title *The Nigerian Patriarchy: When and How*, Sefinatu Aliyu Dogo critique Oyěwùmí argument say precolonial Yoruba society no organize itself around gender and e no be patriarchal. Dogo summarize Oyěwùmí position say Western scholarship dey wrongly treat gender and women subordination as universal, and say European observers impose one visual, anatomy-based model of social classification on top African societies. According to Dogo, Oyěwùmí claims wey dey rooted for linguistic analysis and the social structure of the Oyo-Yoruba, suggest say "seniority" for this sense get more nuance and e depend on different factors. Even though chronological age difference na major one, factors inside the "kinship" fit influence how each person definition of seniority go be. For The Invention of Women and Bakare-Yusuf 2003 critique, Dogo note say Oyěwùmí talk say Yoruba social identity dey organized primarily around seniority, no be gender, and Yoruba language no get gender-specific markers for words like "son", "daughter", "brother", or "sister", nor for occupations or social roles (Oyěwùmí 1997; Bakare-Yusuf 2003). Dogo talk say Oyěwùmí work, like Diop and Amadiume own, dey aimed at proving say precolonial African society no get Patriarchy. However, Dogo argue say this evidence no strong enough to generalize for the whole precolonial Africa, noting say Oyěwùmí dey draw conclusions based on only one ethnic group and she no fully address the patriarchal features wey dey Yoruba society today.

Literary scholar Mabel Evwierhoma cite Oyěwùmí argument say for precolonial Yoruba society, na age dey mainly structure social relations, no be gender, and men plus women no dey occupy positions wey unequal by nature.

## Fellowships den awards
Oyeronke Oyewumi contributions to African Studies, sociology of knowledge and gender theory don get recognition through different honor and fellowships. She don also receive support for her research from big international funding groups, including Presidential fellowship and grants from Ford Foundation. She collect Rockefeller Fellowships as she bin awarded Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship on Human Security between 2003 and 2004, and National Council for Research on Women also award her.

Oyewumi scholarship don also collect big disciplinary awards. The first one na her book *The Invention of Women* (1997), wey American Sociological Association under the Sex and Gender section give Distinguished Book Award. The book still enter finalist for African Studies Association Herskovits Prize.

By 2021, Oyewumi bag one of the most prestigious awards for African Studies field – the Distinguished Africanist Award. This award na career defining moment for Oyewumi. Na because the award no only recognize lifetime of outstanding scholarship and contribution to the Africanist field, Oyewumi na the African woman wey dem honor with the award since e start for the 1980s. This one make the award highlight the longstanding racial and gender disparities wey dey academic notice.Oyewumi put am for right perspective and context say: *"*in the 38 year since this award don dey conferred, more than 50 percent don go to white men and six to white women; no African woman don ever get recognized with the award".

Also, for 2014 and earlier inside Oyewumi career, the New York African Studies Association recognize her scholarship with the Distinguished Africanist Award.

## References

## External links

* Oyèrónkẹ́ Oyěwùmí on the website of Stony Brook University.