The Woman in Mveng’s Thought

Abstract

Are women a concern in Engelbert Mveng’s work? This essay aims at presenting a thorough reflection of Mveng’s perspective on women as it can be discerned from his various writings. Very few of his writings are directly dedicated to women. Among possible ways of analyzing references to women in Mveng’s publications, the author has decided to look at woman in the African universe, in African art, in religion and in poetry, which are the main areas where women appear in Mveng’s writings. Most of the publications of Mveng on women were written between the 1950s and 1970s. Later publications just reinforced points already raised in early writings. After presenting the fourfold dimension of woman in Mveng’s writings, the author moves to an evaluation of Mveng’s thought, inspired by feminist hermeneutics.