State Sponsorship of Women's Rights and Implications for Patriarchism in Namibia

It would seem that one of Africa's few growth industries in recent years has been the stampede of scholarship attempting to account for the failure of the state to generate meaningful economic development. While academics argue over whether the primary culprits are kleptocratic governing élites, Western imperialist forces, or unfair market conditions in the global economy, the realities of African political life show an increasing reactionary trend away from the political integration of the state. Some criticise the integrity of state structures as being Western inventions that have little capacity to respond to African needs, and note the rise of pre-colonial traditional structures organised around ethnic or tribal considerations. Some argue that capitalism in the African context is not able to generate capital accumulation sufficient to improve living standards. Still others suggest that anti-democratic patriarchal forces prevent capitalism from effectively generating maximum growth.