The paradigm of male domination exemplified by the social relations between the sexes is structured in a way that men dominate and women submit. As such, these socio cultural relations presuppose a dyadic conception of domination in which women are subject to men. If male domination is seen as pervasive and women, docile, then the affirmation that women have power is a contradiction in terms. However, in line with Foucault’s idea on sexuality, this paper sets to explore the concrete narrative on sexuality in African context. It is against this background that this paper argues that contrary to some beliefs on women power, rather than being a symbol of subordination and subjugation, gender to African women is a fundamental controlling power that lays the foundation of social harmony.

Keywords: Gender, power, sexuality, social harmony