Pre-Programme #BAYMAU26

“Social justice, protection & Women’s Rights – women’s rights are human rights; they span all spheres- social, political, legal and economic. — Masculinities and gender justice”

How can institutions challenge colonial legacies embedded in masculinities?

Institutions could and should hire more culturally and geographically diverse womxn to break with the colonial heritage and have people that represent the future. An exploration of decolonial African Masculinities towards inclusive gender justice. The workshop will focus on the construction, re-construction and deconstruction of masculinities across epochs and contexts. Focus on the construction, re-construction and deconstruction of masculinities across epochs and contexts. 

“Intersectionality: the needs of women in rural areas, women with disabilities, and migrant or marginalised women”

Thinking Intersectionally about Rural Women and the limits if Empowerment Discourses

In this interactive session, we will watch a short documentary from rural Tanzania and take an intersectional lens to analyse the layers that make rural women vulnerable to some forms of exploitation and violence. Here, thinking intersectionally is an exercise for all participants to tease out the limits of discourses of empowerment and who they are available to.

How can intersectional approaches better address the needs of women living in rural areas?

Intersectionality helps us appreciate internal differentiation. Unlike single axis approach and/or categorisation such as a generic “women living in rural areas”, an intersectional lens enables us to make a critical intervention that takes into account differences in socio-cultural and economic location.

Short bio:

Serawit Debele is a professor of Gender Sexuality and Religion at the university of Bayreuth. She is also a member of the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence and a senior fellow at the Bayreuth International School of African Studies. 

“Dance workshop”

April 11th I 1:30-3:00 pm (UTC+2)

Location: Hochschulsport/Sport Centre

Tabea is a dance enthusiast who loves exploring rhythm and movement from across Africa. She believes dance is a universal language that brings people together and will guide participants through the vibrant world of Amapiano Afro dance, sharing the joy of expression and the cultural spirit behind the music.

“Leadership & Governance – good governance demands equal and
effective participation by women.”

Public visibility is not just about being seen—it is about being recognized as legitimate political actors.

Public visibility establishes women as legitimate political actors, challenging male-dominated norms and normalizing their role as decision-makers. Furthermore, visible leaders create pathways, facilitate access to crucial influence networks, and ensure women’s issues enter mainstream political discourse, overcoming historical exclusion.

“Who Gets to Lead? Challenging Norms and Building Inclusive Institutions”

Traditional leadership paradigms often perpetuate exclusionary norms, limiting opportunities for underrepresented voices and hindering institutional innovation. This interactive workshop, Who Gets to Lead?, challenges the conventional definitions of authority and merit by exploring the hidden biases, systemic barriers, and cultural norms that dictate leadership trajectories. Based on personal experience it moves beyond theoretical diversity initiatives to provide demonstrate ‘real politics’. Participants are invited to engage in reflective exercises to identify personal and institutional blind spots, discuss the intersectionality of leadership. We will reimagine leadership as a collective, equitable process rather than a pre-defined institution.

Short bio

Dr. Jane Ayeko-Kümmeth is a political scientist specialising in development policy of African countries. She is currently coordinating the BMBF funded Gender Oriented Research program—’GO Forschung’ at the university of Bayreuth. Prior to that she worked as the academic coordinator of the Institute of African Studies also at the university of Bayreuth. Her career spans across media and development cooperation. She has worked with international development organisations and undertaken several consultancy assignments with international organisations including the GIZ and the AU

“Migration – Body and border policing”

Location: Hybrid/Online

Short bio

Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso is Associate Professor of African and African
American Studies at Brandeis University, Massachusetts. Her research
and teaching areas encompass International Relations, gender studies,
refugees and migration, women in conflict and peace, African politics,
and African knowledge systems. Dr. Yacob-Haliso has published fifteen
books, including her most recent works: _Women in Africa_ (Routledge,
2025), _African Refugees_ (Indiana University Press, 2023), and the
three-volume _Palgrave Handbook of African Women’s Studies_
(Palgrave, 2021).