LeidenASA seminar: Digital cultures, gender and sexuality in Contemporary Cameroon
“I cannot imagine my life without the Internet” (Peter 23, Douala). In a context where sexuality remains extremely framed by reproductive values and principles, access to the Internet offers an unexpected opening to the world and unrestricted ways of enjoying a sexual life outside of imposed boundaries. In Cameroon, mobile phone coverage is estimated over 80%, and the number of internet subscribers has doubled in five years, from 14.16% in 2012 to 35.64% in 2017. 74% of internet traffic comes from mobile phones. Gender gap in accessing new technologies is relatively weak, especially in urban areas. This raises the following question: can digital technologies and their uses call into question male domination in social, political and economic relationships? By allowing sexual self-expression how can they challenge sexual inequalities that shape Cameroonian society? Grounded on a recent postdoctoral research on “The Internet, At Risk Sexual Practices and HIV/AIDS in Cameroon”, this presentation looks at smart phones and the internet as a mirror that allows us to better understand how gender and sexual hierarchies are challenged and reenacted through digital cultures.
Speaker
Larissa Kojoué holds a PhD in Political Science from the Political Studies Institute of Bordeaux. A former independent visiting research fellow at the African Studies Centre, she currently resides in Yaoundé-Cameroon where she is an associate researcher at Fondation Paul Ango Ela de géopolitique en Afrique Centrale (FPAE). After her PhD, she completed a first doctoral project at the University of Montréal in Canada, and a second postdoctoral research supported by Sidaction Paris. As a political scientist, her researches focus on global health policies specially HIV/AIDS, state transformations in Cameroon, citizenship and social movements. Larissa is also interested in higher education development in Africa and coordinated a collective book about African PhD students and their experiences: Tu seras Docteur.e mon enfant!
At the ASCL, Larissa will be collaborating with prof Mirjam De Brujin and Dr Sabine Luning to carry out a book project on her last postdoctoral research on Digital practices and Sexuality in Cameroon.
Date, time and location
02 April 2019
15:30-17:00
Pieter de la Courtgebouw / Faculty of Social Sciences, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden
Room 1A24
Posted on 26 March 2019, last modified on 26 March 2019