Presentation of a Doctoral Research by Dr Sara Panata, 2nd of June

Dr Sara Panata, Senior Research Associate at IFRA-Nigeria, defended her PhD thesis in September 2020 on “Nigeria Marches On. Feminist and Women’s Movements in the National Struggle for Socio-Political Rights (1944-1994)”. After supporting her research since 2013, IFRA-Nigeria was glad to take part to the first presentation of her Doctoral Research in the Department of History, University of Ibadan on the 2nd of June. 

The workshop was hosted by the Department of History, University of Ibadan and took place on the 2nd June. There were approximately 45 participants, students and lecturers from the Department of History, and from other Departments of the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences.

Dr Sara Panata Doctoral thesis, Nigeria Marches On examines the journey of eleven feminist and women’s movements in Nigeria over half a century of socio-political action, thus reflecting the country’s history from a different point of view. The study begins in 1944, under British colonial rule, with the advent of a particular organisational model: national women’s movements that were autonomous from government institutions and other political actors. Departing from the situation in other countries, this independent organisational hub became the preferred intermediary in dealing with women-related socio-political issues over fifty years of history. The study analyses the positions that these movements have contemplated for women within the colonial and later independent nation, the rights they have demanded, and the collective paths they have taken to obtain them. This history ends in 1994, when this organisational model loses its momentum, having however moved the needle on national socio-political issues in the interval.

To know more about her work, you can also read her recent interview!

Pictures of the event:

Dr Sara Panata, presenting her doctoral Research, in the Department of History, University of Ibadan.

Prof. Olutayo Adesina, Head of Department of History, University of Ibadan, commenting the presentation.

Dr Sara Panata, presenting her doctoral Research, in the Department of History, University of Ibadan.

Dr Mutiat Oladejo (Department of History, University of Ibadan) commenting the presentation.