Title: Adinkra symbolic clothing for the empowerment of African women: Akan example

Authors: Josephine Aboagyewaa-Ntiri; Arun Vijayan

Addresses: School of Fashion and Textiles, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, 25 Dawson Street, Brunswick Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ' School of Fashion and Textiles, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University, 25 Dawson Street, Brunswick Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Abstract: Adinkra, a collection of symbols with names and meanings that represents the culture of Akans has existed over a century; yet, Adinkra is limited in usage because they are mostly utilised as designs on funeral costumes. This article emphasises on positive attributes of selected Adinkra symbols to serve as a source of design for both traditional and modern fashion products for the propagation of gender equality. Adinkra symbols as designs for modern women fashion and clothing products has the effect of highlighting on the meanings of the symbols to signify the strength of women, offer flexibility in their choice of dress to affirm the needed changes for women empowerment. An original contribution of this paper is to show another way of affirming changes necessary to engender women empowerment for gender equality. Through the use of selected Adinkra symbols as designs for clothing, women empowerment can be achieved through positive affirmation.

Keywords: Adinkra symbols; fashion design; spread; attitudinal change; women empowerment; female empowerment; betterment; Ghana; Akan culture; Africa; funeral costumes; gender equality; clothing products; positive affirmation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2016.076073

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2016 Vol.1 No.3, pp.267 - 277

Received: 17 Jun 2015
Accepted: 14 Jan 2016
Published online: 22 Apr 2016 *

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