The silent majority: unpacking the gendered politics of African political identity

African political identity has historically been formed through narratives dominated by ethno-nationalist ideology and patriarchal practices, which frequently marginalise women. Despite making up a sizable proportion of the population, women’s involvement in shaping and challenging political identities are usually devalued, with them portrayed as the ‘silent majority’ in the political sphere. The participation of women in liberation struggles, post-independence political formations, and modern ethno-nationalist groupings provides concrete evidence for how political power is gendered and disputed. This study investigates the interaction of gender, ethno-nationalism, and political identity in Africa, utilising a feminist lens to criticise the exclusions inherent in traditional nationalist discourse. Using a scoping analysis method and a multidisciplinary approach that includes feminist theory and postcolonial studies, this study investigates how gendered identities are formed, negotiated, and instrumentalised within ethno-nationalist movements. The study emphasises how ethno-nationalist narratives frequently reduce women to symbolic or reproductive duties, depicting them as cultural preservers rather than political activists. It also highlights the techniques used by women to exert their agency within and outside of nationalist ideologies, ranging from grassroots activism to transnational feminist alliances. Therefore, the study advocates for a reinvention of African political identity within an inclusive, gender-sensitive framework.