Women’s role in society

I agree with the writer Kang’ara that African women today have been disempowered through the economic system of the modern world. In the past African women were “proud landowners and producers” but today they do not have a say in their economic lives. They have been reduced to consumers of products rather than producers. Even though the products they produced in the past were basic and often rudimentary, it met the needs of their families and their communities. Cottage industries thrived in these traditional communities and goods were exchanged through barter trade. When you look at e-bay for instance, it is nothing but a virtual market where people barter products they have in exchange for the goods they need, only that it is done in a little bit more sophisticated way.

We need to carefully study the traditional system of family and community sustenance and especially the traditional economic systems that acted as mechanisms for the exchange of goods and services and see what lessons we can glean from our forefathers. The lessons learned can then be applied to our modern African context and figure out how the system of today can incorporate those tried and true traditional ways. Presently, development aid has almost completely failed in Africa because it is based on a faulty system. We need less aid and more trade and opportunities to create goods and services and exchange these in the world market. We need to redesign our financial systems so that money received is well protected.

“Women were once leaders in the business of survival but today are forced to sit on the sidelines while others make decisions for them” We need to empower women once again to be welcome to the decision making table where they will have a voice and say in policy making. Today, the United States has a woman as the Speaker of the house making it a historic moment because she is the first woman to hold this position. She is in a powerful policy making position and under her watch a lot of key legislations and policy will undoubtedly be passed making her a powerful person.

We must use science and technology to further enhance the lives of women in Africa in the years to come. Once a lot of the drudgery of their daily tasks is removed from under them, it will free them to become more productive and better contributors to society’s development.

Women have an inbuilt capacity for compassion and empathy and this can be a powerful leadership tool especially in troubled times. Africa leadership for instance today ignores the role that women can play conflict resolution and peace initiatives. Exemplary leaders like Oprah Winfrey, Wangari Maathai, Rosa Parks, mother Teresa, and Eleanor Roosevelt have used their power, position and platforms to highlight critical community issues that needed or need to be addressed. These issues range from environmental protection, civil rights, social justice, poverty, and social wellbeing for all.

What is the effect of global capitalism today especially pertaining to women of Africa? What famine eradication policies are in place today and how do they take into account the long term needs of communities? What is African leadership doing about these issues? What are the voices of women who have to live through starvation and deprivation? What can they teach us about their situation? What are the nations’ of Africa long term planning for food stocks?

Women must be at the center of creation of opportunities of enhancing food production capacity and creating markets for goods produced. They need to be at the forefront in the investment initiatives in rural areas and key players in the ownership and control of means of production. Famine is not right in the eyes of women and their empowerment to fight this ill is long overdue.