The African society tends to see women as more of second class citizens not fit to be put of position of power. The society tells women that their job is to be mothers, caretakers, cooks, cleaners and housewives. The society does not support women to pursue their dreams or their careers. The society seen women as less than men and that is why equality is hard to meet up with the United Nations Development Goals of trying to empower women and promote gender equality.
Women all over the world are seen differently. Every country has a different way they see women. Some countries see women as inferior and some see women as equal but still some systems oppress women and make sure that one way or the other women are not treated equally like men. In Africa, some societies do not let women work because women are too weak to work or because the only purpose of a woman is to have children and raise them.
The one thing that stands out in Africa is the way the women are not allowed to be educated in some societies. In Nigeria for example in the Northern part of Nigeria, women are not allowed to go to school and not only that women who try to go to school are killed and kidnapped. This type of terror is enough to discourage women to not want to get an education. The society tries to confine women into a box and not let them do what they want to do but wants to dictate what to do for them.
The society decides for women in general and does not try to take time to think about what women would want. African women have always been seen as inferior and whenever a woman tries to speak out and be a feminist people call her a man hater. People say she is against man and trying to take the man’s place. The women in the society are supposed to fit into a stereotype. The stereotype is that of a woman who has children and stays at home and keeps the house in order.
An example is that of the Kenyan women who wanted to have wood to make fire. The women were not allowed to plant these trees because they had no degrees and Wungari Mathai told the women to go and get seeds and plan them. Women were used to following the norms and Wungari Mathai told them to break their norms and think outside the box which made a big movement in the long term. The movement led to an increase in the low status of women.
The life of the average African woman is average. It is rare when women want to think outside the box and want to take a position of power in the community or contest for a man’s position.The society has placed chains on the African woman and it is like they have placed in a glass box and they have to break through the glass ceiling. I encourage women to think outside the box and build great things. I want women to dream big and challenge themselves to be great.
