The Making Of The African Woman

By Priscilla Njamb

Against obvious odds, cultural caging, unjust norms, unrealistic expectations, a systematic and orchestrated oppressive setbacks in life, the African woman has over the decades rose to a polished gem of hope. She has become a voice that is undeniably bringing change across the continent that was once dubbed the proverbial tunnel of darkness.

In many Oriental and African cultures, a woman is barely a vessel to be used at the mercy of society. She has unconsciously taken and accepted to play second fiddle in society. Her star is always silenced any time she tries to rise from obscurity and reminded that “aggression” is not part of her make up. Every generation is mentored by the previous one to see a woman as a person depicted to monotonous house chores and childbearing. She is molded to believe her lifetime job description is pleasing her society and worse still, she takes the blame when things don’t work out to fit the community unrealistic expectations and standards.

These written and unwritten rules range from biased backward cultures of subjection, partial or even denial of basic education, unacceptable marginalization in leadership positions among many aspects keeps her at the bottom of the hierarchy. Religious beliefs have not relieved her either. On the contrary, they have been used to seal and rubber stamp this systematic enslavement. The Good Book has on several occasions been misinterpreted to mortgage her mind, to coil, and accept that it is her God-given fate to maintain the low status.

Growing up I happened to be a curious and critical thinking mind. I therefore always questioned the odds, especially when observing many African men bask in comfort, neglecting their responsibilities while burdening the fragile woman to work tirelessly to fend for the family. On the flip side, this would remind me of the tenacity in these beautiful souls who if given the right platform and leverage they carry within them great capacity that can bring drastic and positive changes in society. With little or no resources, women create self-help groups and save the seemingly insignificant revenues to do remarkable things for themselves and their children. This unity of purpose amongst them has seen many women achieve remarkable progress and make huge strides economically in all levels of development. This has attracted many financial institutions in Kenya to tap into this technique that is self-driven yet brings so many returns financially

Ignoring the strength of a woman is, therefore, walking in ignorance. Any society that seeks to keep her subjected is robbing itself of its destiny. It is quite obvious that most children attribute their success to their mothers’ selflessness and sacrifice. The summary of her make-up of her is a God-given strength that works wonders.

Bethlehem Alemu, an Ethiopian entrepreneur, started a footwear label company “Sole labels” in 2005 and has now become a global icon and has found her product in more than 18 stores around the world. She became the first African to address the Clinton Global Initiative.

Across the world, the girl child voice now rises to decry the imbalanced lifestyle and is aggressive in pursuit of empowerment in every dimension. Whether through a radical revolutionary mode or a gradual reform, the woman is carefully and gradually being stirred to challenge what has traditionally been a reserve for men. She is claiming what rightfully belongs to her and fighting for her space in society. Legends such as Wangari Mathai have risen from disadvantaged insignificant village life to global icons that changed the world by pursuing their passions and guts.

The Somali born Ilhan Omar who lived at a refugee camp in Kenya was the first naturalized African and Somali American elected to the US congress. She is a fierce campaigner for affordable housing, healthcare, and a living wage.

Great strides have been made in advocating the rights of the girl child. There is a new paradigm shift in society, radical thinking in the minds of upcoming female generations. Practices such as childhood marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are shunned and instead, there is more emphasis to educate the girl child to enable her to compete on the global platform. Polygamy, a vice that once made the woman equated to pieces of property is slowly becoming outdated among many communities. The traditional woman who prided in filling her “quiver” with many babies to please her never satisfied society has been replaced with the modern mindset that embraces modern family planning. Her health and economic empowerment is now a preference.

*The role of social media cannot be ignored as it provokes critical thinking and sharing among women peers. Landmark changes both economically and mentally are birthed by interactions in this space. In Kenya, women’s social media groups are being converted to financial groups called “Glam my home “. This platform has seen women in various localities come together in brainstorming actions that even help them acquire a property. Social media has also helped in curbing incidents of violence through the quickest means of sharing information and it, in turn, tames perpetrators with fear of being exposed. Though it has also had its share in contributing to moral deteriorating of the society, social media trends have on the positive side made strides in helping women make significant changes.

The typical African woman who was a depicted image of starvation, illiteracy, and oppression has systematically evolved. The ancient backward gender norms, superstitious beliefs and strict roles to contain and control her have gradually been replaced with resilience and audacity. She is in many fields becoming a trailblazer and the master of her destiny. Women from all walks of life are defying odds and rebelling against systems that were at one time orchestrated as barriers to cap their potentials. The explosive power and intellect knitted within a woman can only be absorbed by a society that perceives change as a positive challenge and not a threat.

In reality, the African woman, is, pushing back the pushbacks!

Happy Women’s Day!

The writer is a Gender and Women Rights Human Rights Defender and a writer based in Nakuru, Kenya.