Tubman Talks with Ify Okadigbo (Hybrid)
Date: Thursday, November 7, 2024
Time: 3:00-4:30pm Eastern Time
Location: Tubman Resource Room (314 York Lanes), York University, Keele Campus
In-person Registration: https://research.apps01.yorku.ca/machform/view.php?id=237524
Zoom Registration: https://yorku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUkfuyurjoiHNFB6tvN_6L7HBHjvehO6G6H
Title: Gendered Power
Abstract: Mainstreaming the mystic traces the utility and recovery of traditional modes of gendered spirituality in southeastern Igbo communities. It explores how contemporary Igbo women adjust to the simultaneous practice of traditional Igbo spirituality/Odinani and Christianity without conflict. This research also investigates the connections between the colonial encroachment of Igbo West African communities, and the subsequent and sustained decline of the status of Igbo women. It plots these connections by interrogating how unique modes of power, specifically spiritual power, utilized by Igbo women, were subsequently diminished through a three-pronged approach of colonization, western religion, and western education. Ultimately, this work problematizes the binary and rigid interpretation of Igbo culture as patriarchal, abusive to women, masculinist and “women hating”, by contextualizing the meanings and application of power particularly gendered power through spirituality. It posits that power exists in the quiet, the mysterious, the taken for granted, the hidden, the unorthodox, and the unexplained.
Bio: Ifeyinwa Okadigbo, widely known as Ify, is a dedicated Ph.D. Candidate within the esteemed School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at York University, Toronto, Canada. Her academic journey has been characterized by a profound commitment to unveiling the multifaceted dimensions of gender, coloniality, and African feminism. Ify holds an impressive academic record, boasting two master’s degrees in Gender and International Development from the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, and Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies from York University, Canada.
Her research endeavors are anchored in a decolonial feminist perspective, reflecting her fervent desire to critically examine the ramifications of the colonial encounter and its enduring legacies on the lives, aspirations, and future trajectories of African women in the Igbo and Hausa communities of Nigeria. Ify’s scholarly pursuits encompass a rich tapestry of subjects, with a primary focus on coloniality, decolonization, African feminism, African personhood, traditional women’s movements, and gendered leadership.
In her recent work, Ify has expanded her research horizon to encompass the intricate discourses surrounding gendered power and its unique connections to Igbo spirituality. Her exploration delves into how African women continually disrupt the prevailing binary narratives that often oversimplify the interplay between Western religious influences and African spirituality.
Her multidisciplinary approach to complex issues in the realm of gendered power and its connections to spirituality promises to contribute significantly to the evolving discourse in these fields, ultimately paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.
Her work has been supported by many Grants and Fellowships.
