Women, Social Change, and Activism by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

African Female Writers and the Representation of Facets of the African Female Experience

The multiple facets of the African female consciousness and experiences are direct results of the stratal nature of the continent. The African continent, with its several countries occupying the areas of North, Central, South, East, and West Africa, is systematically stratified and embodies obvious binary oppositions. Many African nations have citizens belonging to the affluent, middle, lower, or the devastatingly poor classes.[7] It is important to point out that women of these varying classes have distinguishable experiences influenced by factors relating to our class, nationality, culture, religion, ability, and age, among others. Hence, the strata in the society imply that advancement and regression occur concurrently. These startling binaries extend to nearly all spheres of life such that the tale of the African reality is largely extensive. It is thus apparent that the singular presentation of the devastation causes non-Africans to have a myopic view of the African reality, especially in relation to gender discourses. Therefore, bearing on this stratified nature of the society, women of the upper and middle classes are often equipped to “own” their lives if they wish to do so.[8] Perhaps I should point out here that I am a young woman of middle class background who has chosen to own her life.[9]

On the contrary, women of lower class and devastatingly poor categories find themselves in a constant struggle against dominating social power, with this often resulting in their repression. While there are a number of women who have successfully deconstructed the binaries, a significant number are left with scrapes, resorting to using their feminine wiles to gain power; prostitution, concubinage, marrying rich men or sleeping around to win favours become their tickets to living a comfortable and good life. It is also observed that many African women, irrespective of their class, give up dreams and aspirations to satisfy men and the judgmental, mostly unforgiving (especially with women) societies.[10] In essence, the average African woman finds herself subordinated as a result of the forces of racism, traditional structures, neo-colonialism, colorism, underdevelopment, sexism, and her own endorsement of ideologies that contribute to her subjugation. This categorization of the oppressive forces is essentially projected in the stiwanist critical strategy. Stiwanism presents six intersectional dynamics that Ogundipe-Leslie addresses as metaphoric mountains that obstruct most African women: oppression from outside (colonialism and neo-colonialism); oppression from traditional structures; her own backwardness, stemming from the underdevelopment in many African states; man; her color and race; and herself.[11] Oppression from outside refers to the subordination of women resulting from colonial and neo-colonial structures. Oppression from traditional structures points to subjugation resulting from socio-cultural norms. The underdevelopment of many African countries reflects in the backwardness of many women living under the poverty line. The restriction of their exploration due to factors relating to their literacy level and ability results in ignorance, making them easy preys of oppressing forces. Subsequently, her color and race imply the racism and colorism she encounters in the diaspora and in the continent.

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