Understanding the oppression of Black girls and women within the global context: Illustrations from Ghana and the United States

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora, there is documented oppression of girls and women. While many policies and laws have been created to improve the well-being of this population, many of them are ineffective, oftentimes due to harmful cultural practices enshrined by systems of oppression. This paper conducts a cross-cultural comparative analysis using the framework of intersectionality to explore the unique oppression that girls and women experience in sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora. Specific cultural practices and policies will be analyzed using Ghana and the United States. In Ghana, we explore the Trokosi system as a cultural practice which negatively influences the well-being of girls and women. In the United States, we explore the child welfare system, which we argue also negatively influences the well-being of Black girls and Black women. Similarities and differences related to the underlying oppression that both groups experience are explored in detail utilizing both contextual intersectionality and situated intersectionality.