Marriage as a Factor in Self-determination for West African Women

Using qualitative methodology, 49 West African immigrants were interviewed for this study. This study examined the ways in which marriage influenced the lives of West African women. Analysis of these data supported the continued importance of marriage in the lives of West African Women, specifically, it revealed marriage as (1) a key to female identity; (2) a pathway to motherhood; and (3) a mechanism for self-determination. The use of African feminism as a theoretical lens allowed for a nuanced understanding of the marital experiences of West African women as this lens views these experiences within the cultural context of the participants.