Women in Africa
The election of Ellen-Sirleaf Johnson as first woman President of the African State of Liberia is a timely one when Africa is realising how vital and crucial it is for her people to shape their own destiny. The role of women is important in shaping and awakening Africa. For a long time the potential of women has remained vastly untapped. Then World Bank President James Wolfensohn speaking at a conference on governance organised by the UN Economic Commission in 2004 remarked that “the
empowerment of women is the secret weapon of development in Africa. He added that the trouble is that you (men) beat them up. Gender violence has to stop.”
Issues that were highlighted at this conference include one of the major problems that Africa is facing today, that is women disempowerment and violence firmly rooted in many of our communities. The most unfortunate thing is the greed force that has caused the trafficking of innocent young girls only to be sold as child prostitutes. What makes sad reading is the fact that women are also involved in this diabolical trade of the precious human resource that our continent
needs. Our continent continues to lose women and children in blood conflicts in places such as the Darfur Region of. Sudan.
At the Millennium 2000 Summit it was observed that out of 146 heads of State and Government at the United Nations Headquarters in New York only four were women not one of them was from Africa (Business Africa, March 2005)
. The coming on of Liberia’s first woman President is a step in the right direction but think of her sitting at the meeting of more than 50 African Heads of State and Government during any African Union Summit all alone. If President Thabo Mbeki is not represented by the Executive Deputy President of South Africa she will drown in the men dominated arena. We in Africa need to accelerate women’s access to education, financial resources, economic and professional empowerment. They should be part and parcel to policy formulation, decision-making and implementation.
The involvement of women in Africa’s development should not be an election slogan to woo votes. One thing that needs to be understood is that, when women are calling for their rights, it should not be interpreted as a fight against men. If we are to achieve a lot in the fight against rape, women and child abuse, men should not only be viewed as perpetrators but also as partners in conquering these evils. Men should be totally involved and embrace this partnership not as a threat. It is at this point religious entities such as the church should take a leading role in the emancipation and empowerment of women. What women of Africa need is not to be raped or battered but recognition and partnership. It is important for us to realise that women are capable of equal virtuousness as men. We need to give them a chance.
Martin
Makanga Email: makanga_ma@yahoo.com
Cornerstone Christian College/Stellenbosch University
Cape Town.
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