Unchain Africa Press

In many parts of Africa today, there are unprecedented changes taking place in the decision-making spheres of the society. Some African parliaments are moving away from old boys clubs, to governments that are more inclusive of women and their concerns. Ironically, while politics became more male-dominated in colonial and post-colonial Africa (in the name of adhering to traditional cultural practices, which some claim limit women’s public participation), women throughout pre-colonial Africa held significant formal and informal leadership roles as chiefs and monarchs within their various societies. Moreover, during the struggle for independence, women in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Algeria, and other parts of Africa, were actively involved in the continent’s liberation.

Sadly, much of this history is forgotten by many of Africa’s ‘big men’ who have failed tremendously to promote gender equality, and to address the most serious concerns of African women today. For instance, in Kenya, there remains a strong anti-women sentiment in a political environment where women are beaten and even killed for daring to challenge the current patriarchical arrangement. Likewise in a 2008 article by Dr. Alex T. Magaisa on politics and prejudice in Zimbabwe, Magais writes, ”When a male victim is attacked, the weapon of choice is the stick but when a female victim suffers, the weapon of choice is the reproductive organ. The man is beaten hard; the woman, often, is raped and sexually violated. This most horrifying of physical violence, in many ways, is a manifestation of the kind of language and approach that women face in everyday public life. The tragedy, however, is that those fighting for democracy and those thwarting it, tend to adopt similar attitudes and practices towards womenfolk.”                                  (http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/magaisa94.18710.html)

Although things are changing slowly, they are changing. Developments taking place on the global scene have had a direct impact on what goes on in individual African countries. Many of these changes began in the early 1990s with the end of the Cold War. Along with this came a wave of democracy across Africa which, among other things, forced the political elite to widen the political space to include previously marginalized civil society groups, young people, and women. Women took advantage of this critical historical moment to reclaim their rightful place in society alongside their male counterparts. Eventually most African countries committed to forming specific government ministries to oversee the economic and social empowerment of women. Also, many African governments adopted quotas, which ensured that up to 30% of leadership positions would be reserved for women. This was an attempt to address some of the persistent gender inequalities that existed.

Additionally, the women’s movement across Africa continued to challenge their governments and the society at large to adopt more inclusive policies and practices, to ensure that women were no longer excluded from the very societies that they have been critical in helping to shape. Also, the women’s movement was responsible for helping to expand the political discourse to include previously ignored issues, such as the environment, that have a direct impact on the livelihood of poor and rural women. For instance, the Greenbelt Movement in Kenya led by Wangari Maathai (the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004) was instrumental in giving visibility and voice to the concerns of women at the grassroots level.

Currently, there are major developments taking place in Africa towards a gender balance of power. Liberia has been led since 2006 by Africa’s first elected woman president. Additionally, Rwanda at 56% and South Africa at 43%, are ranked first and third on the global scale of women in leadership (Sweden is in second place with 47%) compared to about 22% in Canada and 16% in the United States. Other countries in Africa have the following percentages of women in parliament: Angola (37%), Mozambique (34%), Uganda (30%), Burundi (30%), and Tanzania (30%). (The above statistics are based on the numbers of women in the lower or single house of government. For more statistics see the Inter-Parliamentary Union site: http://www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm).

While these changes are critical, they are just the beginning of the overall societal transformation that needs to take place on the African continent. No longer should a scenario exist where a woman can be Vice President of a country but continue to be the victim of physical and emotional abuse, as was the case of Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Uganda’s first female Vice President. The true emancipation of women in Africa will have real significance when women are not only politically empowered, but when this empowerment extends to increased protection for women from Gender Based Violence (a major problem in many African countries); more access to basic services such as health, education, and shelter; the rights of women to own land and property; and additional options for women to determine their own destinies. Only then will we be able to truly move towards sustainable development and social change in Africa.