FAMILY MATTERS: Reproduction and Care in Africa
EVENT DATE: 13 November 2023
VENUE: Kisumu City, Kenya
For too long ideas about reproduction in Africa have been stubbornly grounded in precarity and risk, and imperilled by political warfare and conflict, poverty, hunger and wider socioeconomic inequalities. As a consequence, prevailing research on reproduction remains concentrated on infant and maternal mortality, preventing fertility, death, disease and devastation with limited attention to understanding the interconnected bonds between family, reproduction and care- a lacuna this one-day conference aims to address.
Turning against a narrow version of reproduction, this conference asks new questions about the relationship between family, care and reproduction in Africa. What does family mean in Africa and how does it impact reproduction and care? What is the space for faith, science and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in Africa? Amidst diverse challenges, technological advancements and complex family structures, social practices and kinship ties are changing. How do contemporary reproductive practices bear the imprint of historical legacies and what does this mean for care and families? By re-examining reproduction, as entwined with family care, the conference seeks to create a space for different conversations that illustrate the profound connections between birth, care, family, desire, joy and freedom.
The “Family Matters: Reproduction and Care in Africa” conference aims to illuminate these intricate dynamics, fostering transnational and nuanced approaches to reproduction and caregiving within African families.