The Africa woman is enmeshed in a world that situates her beneath the male counterpart as compared to other women in developed societies and therefore tries to subject her to a second class citizen. Sometimes one wonders if an African woman can ever break free from a society that denigrates her culturally, socially, and politically; these factors hinder her from achieving her utmost best apart from the fact that she must play her motherly role dutifully otherwise failure at this disintegrates the home front.
The African culture never intends to see the women emancipated (my opinion) as each day unwraps an epitome of inequality that exists in the society which perceives the man as supreme in actions and inactions.
Activists and feminists all over the world have continually articulated the need to ensure women are accorded the same rights as men however the African terrain is impenetrable as the male dominance is a constant dynamic
The system is such that stereotypes women as subjects of sex and beauty, therefore, women emerging from this society needs to be constantly inspired and reassured that they can attain any heights to become whatever they desire in life.
Women are neglected in the decision making process, denied inheritance; and do not attain certain political role are critical concerns that have been raised overtime.
The Nigeria factor is no different, especially the south- east of the country where women can never be seen to participate in the same sphere with men, why? It dates back to time immemorial when the women are told that men are the Lords and therefore women “should only be seen and not heard”
The culture also maintains that a woman hair be shaved, and most times women endure painful dehumanizing experiences because she has to mourn her husband; interestingly the men are rarely made to experience this ordeal.
Secondly women have no inheritances from their fathers, everything is bequeathed to the male, the belief is that once married she migrates to her husband’s house. Consequently inheritance is only guaranteed if she bears male children otherwise the husbands’ siblings’ carts away everything.
And then the incredulity which ridicules the fight for women rights is the injustice meted by women on their fellow women a case in point is “the Umu Adas” who uphold the tenets of customs that is barbaric and anachronistic that should have been abolished long ago.
Also, the nefarious deeds executed without compunction by this group includes demanding the bereaved shaves her hair, sits on the floor during the funeral period, may not allowed to have proper bath et c, failure to comply with the rules and regulations of this group incurs the automatic banishment from buying and selling on all market days and forbidden from interacting with others members of the village et c
Many in this group are of the view that the inhumane system should not be reviewed and abolished as they have been made to endure it one way or the other therefore others must suffer this ordeal, a trend not only worrisome but still a persistent practice among the Igbos in the South- east of Nigeria
The fight for women rights must be all-inclusive as the womenfolk should be re-orientated and salvaged from the mentality of denigration, slavery and abuse. Therefore feminists and activists should not only demand their women rights but also braze up to tackle and consciously emancipate the womenfolk to eliminate all activities that undermine their own rights
By Stella Nwofia
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