Women In Africa

2381 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Evolution of gender inequality in africa essay

Women in Africa

Timothy Veneylo November 26, 1995 History 387

In many parts of Africa, there is a large discrepancy in who controlled the resources, access to the economy, individual autonomy and central voice in the government between the men and the women. African men, for the most part, have the largest say in the activities of the country. When issues of concern arise, "men's issues" usually became the issues of national concern, and those issues pertinent to women go to the back of everyone's mind. Women are forced to accept the results of men's actions, and usually nothing gets accomplished that benefits them. Because women continually were overlooked, they began to come together and protest. If one examines the following women's protests and their outcomes: A.E. Afigbo's The Warrant Chiefs, Sylvia Leith-Ross' African
Women, Jean Allman's "Rounding Up Spinsters: Gender Chaos and Unmarried Women in
Colonial Asante", and Irene Staunton's Mothers of the Revolution, several questions arise. What were women seeking and how did this differ from what men wanted? Did women attain their goals, and if not, why not? If women were not successful in getting their concerns at the forefront of national interest, at what, if anything, were they successful?
In several instances women became so angered by their lack of voice, that they were moved to act. In some of these cases, women were relatively successful in organizing and mobilizing. The story of the Aba Riots, which is discussed in both The Warrant Chiefs and African Women, proves this point well.
In Nigeria, in the late 1920's, the Warrant Chiefs wanted to impose a system of annual taxation. What was so displeasing to the people about the tax was that it involved a census, and that the money went towards no specific project. The concept of counting free people was a foreign one to the Igbo. This notion went contrary to custom, and it was believed to bring about death (Afigbo, 229). The people of the Eastern Provinces felt that because they were being counted, the colonial government was enslaving them or that they were out to destroy them.
Also objectionable to these people was the fact that the collected money went towards "‘development'" (Afigbo, 228), something for which these communities had not asked.
&...

... middle of paper ...

...cause they wanted exclusive authority of their productive and reproductive rights. Women were angry, rightfully so, at the fact that men no longer provided them "chop money." Also, when slavery was abolished, men began pawning their wives and exploiting them for use on their cocoa farms. The women became so enraged at their subjugation by men, that they reacted, successfully. Allman affirms that these women were successful when she says that "this particular form of coercion was unsuccessful in even minimally facilitating the exploitation of women's unpaid labour and one important reason for its failure was that the capture of unmarried women did not get the backing of the colonial government" (Allman, 212). In this particular instance, women were able to "shape actively the emerging colonial world" (Allman, 213). The only thing that the chiefs succeeded in doing was making the arrest of women a profit-making venture; because every time a woman was released from jail, she or the man had to pay the fine. Unfortunately, this was not their goal, so they were ultimately unsuccessful. Women's productive and reproductive rights remained under their control.

Show More
Related

  • To What Extent Was Jacksonian Democracy Democratic?

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the "Women's Rights" issue, Jacksonian Democracy did nothing to further the female cause. Only in sparse st...

    Read More

  • Comparing Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Eighty Years And More

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    The laws of the nation were degrading to the freedom and rights of the women in the land. The makers of the laws were all men who believed that women had no place in the

    Read More

  • Africa's View on Their People

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the 21st century, slavery and the Atlantic Slave Trade are viewed as immoral and quite possibly the most horrifying treatment known to man by society and foreign leaders but, was the same view regarded in the 17th century? The short primary sources, “Nzinga Mbemba: Appeal to the King of Portugal”, and “Captain Thomas Phillips: Buying Slaves in 1639”, enables individuals to identify how foreign leaders, specifically the kings of African nations, conducted the issue of slavery and the slave trade. In the words of Nzinga Mbemba and Captain Phillips, the kings of Congo and Ouidah both knowingly accepted slavery in their country but, had strikingly opposing views concerning the Atlantic Slave Trade; King Mbemba prohibited the trading of slaves whereas the King of Ouidah welcomed slave trading.

    Read More

  • The Women's Rights Movement

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    against men, and 12 resolutions calling for equality of men and women under the law and the rights to vote for

    Read More

  • Women in the Progressive Era

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Just as the Irish wanted good work and the farmers wanted a good banking system, women wanted equality. Women and women's organizations worked for various rights for different groups of people. They not only worked to gain the right to vote, they also worked for political equality and for social reforms.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Awakening, By Kate Chopin

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    women faced many issues. They were seen as inferior to man. They did not have many

    Read More

  • Women's Suffrage

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... it was too bad that they never got to vote, but they made their mark, by opening the doors for the next generation to further their progress. The original feminists were pushing for equality, but the later activists had to settle for just the vote. This was a setback for women’s rights everywhere, since the only way they were able to obtain the right to vote was by admitting that they were different, and needed to be able to vote to protect themselves form the big strong men.

    Read More

  • Women and African American Roles After the American Revolution

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women, in general, were expected to be able to run their homes, taking care of their spouses and children in whatever form was needed at the time. They were looked down on as uneducated without the ability to understand the more intricate knowledge of politics and the running of businesses of any kind. They had no rights except for what they received from the graciousness of their husbands. Their opinions did not matter, in the long run and they were treated as inferior, expected to stay in their place unquestioning and unassuming.

    Read More

  • Women In Liberia Essay

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Liberia, located in the west part of Africa, was a settlement to native Africans in the 1800’s would eventually stablish a settlement consisting of thousands of individuals, freed or non-slaves. This was an attempt of resolving the moral issue of enslavement by colonizing Liberia with freed, or ex-slaves. Not only were freed black men transported across the Atlantic, but women as well. No provisions had been made to ensure equality as a foundation to colonize which causes the issues misogyny and with the lack of historical content of women in Liberia the need for further analysis it is noted that women were hardly acknowledged and only seen as an object in creating a bigger population needed

    Read More

  • Sub-Saharan Africa

    1817 Words  | 4 Pages

    Africa is the second largest of the earth's seven continents, covering about twenty-two percent of the world's total land area. From its northern most point, to its southern most tip is the distance of nearly five thousand miles. Africa is both north and south of the equator. The Atlantic Ocean is located west of the continent, and the Indian Ocean is on the east. Width of the continent is also nearly five thousand miles. Although Africa is so large, much of it is inhabitable. Desert soils, which have little organic content, cover large areas. The Sahara Desert, in the northern part, covers more than one fourth of Africa, and the Kalahari Desert is in the southern part of the continent. These two deserts are a natural detriment to the African continent because they make it difficult to reach the inland where most of the people live. Although Africa is relatively close to Europe, travel by land over the Sahara desert is very prohibitive. Another topographical feature that also isolates the central region of Africa is the coastline.

    Read More

  • Women in Poverty

    2508 Words  | 6 Pages

    The saying “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,” is a common one here in the United States. There is a stigma here that if one works hard enough, they can be anyone they want to be. A lot of people who believe that stigma, did not actually have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They were born on third base and think they hit a triple. According to an article in the Huffington Post, the richest one percent holds 46 percent of the world’s wealth. This one percent includes people such as the Walton children, the inheritors of the money made from Wal-Mart, which was created by their father (“Richest 1 Percent Hold”). It is pretty obvious that they did not have to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, that these people barely had to work at all to receive a huge sum of money. But, then there is the opposite side of the spectrum. There are people who work incredibly hard every single day of their lives, but will forever be stuck in a life of poverty. Some may look at this huge problem and think of an easy solution. Just have rich people give their money to poor people. A common idea, also known as charity. Though, when given a deeper look, charity can sometimes be the same concept as putting a bandage on a bullet wound.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Romeo And Juliet?

    1949 Words  | 4 Pages

    Society at this time was dominated by men, making women live extremely challenging and limited lives. The position and status of a woman ultimately depended on that of her husband. She was not given many rights unless it was allowed by her husband. Women had to withstand arranged marriages and there were times they encountered abuse from their spouse. What many people do not see in this society is that women longed for their own empowerment and they wanted to be given the opportunity to create their own success in life without being overshadowed by their husbands. Women were supposed to be seen and not heard. They did not carry a voice in this society. This was a way of life for women "the relations of the sexes were restructured to one of

    Read More

  • God's Bits of Wood by Sembene Ousmane

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    The culprit behind the alteration of women's role in society was the enforced famine, which eventually resulted in the first of the women's rebellions against the French. Because the men were no longer providing money to purchase food, the women became the providers of the family. As their situation worsened and starvation became imminent, the women resorted to breaking the law. What's remarkable in light of the situation is that the women were united in their efforts rather than watching out for themselves. The hunger visible in their children eyes did not cause them to despair and lose their resolve, rather it helped to develop unity amongst them as they faced this hardship together. For instance, when Ramatoulaye killed the ram Vendredi, the meat from its bones was distributed to all those in need. So when the French soldiers came to collect her for breaking a law, they did not face one lone woman but an army of women prepared to fight.

    Read More

  • Ethiopian Culture Women

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Ethiopian culture, if men came to the house, the women are supposed to cover up because it would be considered immodest. I personally do not have a problem with dressing modestly because I do part take in this practice when I am at home with my parents. I respect the traditional values I grew up in and can acknowledge that those values have contributed in making me the person I am today. As Dr. Stangor (2011) discusses how some women will hold a certain persona to prevent culture disagreement, it made me wonder if women in my culture are dressing by choice or if that was reinforced upon by society. I do respect the traditional values that I was taught to express, but because now I have been immersed in the American culture, I am exploring to see how I can make it work for me especially gender roles. The reading, GIRL (Kincaid,1993) empathizes on the idea that growing up, she was mentally controlled by her family and what they perceived was the 'right' way of acting like a woman. It really made me wonder what kind of values and viewpoints I want to take into my adulthood because there are good attributes in the American culture and the Ethiopian culture.

    Read More

  • Education for Girls in Africa and Its Impacts

    1871 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the contemporary society, education is a foundational human right. It is essentially an enabling right that creates various avenues for the exercise of other basic human rights. Once it is guaranteed, it facilitates the fulfillment of other freedoms and rights more particularly attached to children. Equally, lack of education provision endangers all fundamental rights associate with the welfare of human beings. Consequently, the role of education and in particular girl child education as a promoter of nation states welfare cannot be overemphasized. As various scholars asserts, the challenges and problems faced by the African girl child, to enjoy her right to education are multifaceted. Such difficulties include sexual abuse, child labor, discrimination, early pregnancies, violence and poverty, culture and religious practices (Julia 219). Across the developing world, millions of young girls lack proper access to basic education. In the contemporary society, this crisis, which is particularly critical in remote and poor region of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia have fascinated increased public attention. However, almost all global nation states have assured their commitment in addressing various girl child challenges and allowed a declaration to enable each young girl and boy receive education by the year 2015 (Herz and Sperling 17). This target was firmly established and approved in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. However, this study will focus on girls’ education in Africa and its impacts to their livelihood.

    Read More

More about Women In Africa

Open Document