Dominic Thomas Black France: Colonialism, And Feminism

In Dominic Thomas’ book, Black France: Colonialism, Immigration, and Transnationalism, in chapter five, “Afro-Parisianism and African Feminisms,” he explores the position of French Africans and French African women through the context of female circumcision as it relates to feminism and culture. Thomas notes the different ways in which women of African origin living in France find themselves victim to both African and European modes of oppression and suggests that these women tend to benefit less from French feminism. Thomas utilizes the voices of various Afro-French authors through their works relating to these topics by analyzing their works, allowing the agency of women that are impacted by these practices to frame the debate about the topics. This essay intends to follow how Thomas explores female circumcision and feminism, and how the debate around the topic of criticism is framed in terms of “French universal values” vs. “traditional African culture”.
Thomas opposes female circumcision, but notes that its opposition in France often takes the form of a condescending Eurocentric attitude. The Western concept …show more content…
Both Western feminism and courts fail African women with their Eurocentric criticisms, which act as the only tangible means of protection from violence while in a Western country. Traditional cultures fail these African women with their strictly established systems of patriarchal oppression that resist criticism, labeling it ‘Western’. The result is that women of French origin must find for themselves other means of exercising their agency and combating criticism from both Western and traditional communities. This is not presented as an easy task, as Thomas notes through his exploration of works by various female Afro-French authors stating that African women can face violence for exercising their agency in ways that oppose traditional societal