Her-storicity and epistemic justice

In this paper, I explore Mesembe Edet’s idea of her-storicity, which entails the recognition of women’s perspectives, experiences, and histories that have often been marginalized and excluded in epistemic space, to demonstrate how it could address the problem of epistemic injustice against women. The problem of epistemic marginalization and exclusion of women’s perspectives in African philosophy often leaves women in a disadvantaged position to interpret and derive meaning from their lived experiences. While various scholars have explored solutions from diverse angles, the historiographical perspective remains underexplored in tackling this issue. Thus, building on Edet’s thesis of her-storicity, I contend that her-storicity, if properly realized, can address the problem of epistemic marginalization of women because it is erected on the foundation of inclusivity and complementarity. While critics may raise concerns about her-storicity compromising rigor through subjective bias, I demonstrate that its capacity to embrace various epistemic viewpoints enhances its credibility as an alternative solution to issues of epistemic justice.