Inequality and Violence Against Women in Africa

It has become a common practice in most societies of the world that women are regarded as second class citizens. Meanwhile, our society has no real interest in dealing with the critical issue that affects women.

It is my BELIEF that violence against women starts very early and these issues, which are very pervasive throughout Africa, are the root cause.

To further buttress my position, you HAVE to agree with me that inequality and violence against women start very early in our homes – where we were raised.

In this connection, it is pertinent for us to ask ourselves this salient question:

What are we doing to put the African woman down?

It is quite revealing that from birth, there are extremely creative practices in the war against women. From birth and THROUGHOUT childhood, there is Female Genital Mutilation. I AM an example of that. I was mutilated when I was 12 years old… A TRULY AWFUL EXPERIENCE for a 12-year-old.

Female genital mutilation which starts at birth usually happens in the supposed “safe” ambience of our homes. A FEMALE child is mutilated – mutilated against her wish.

Another revealing situation is that when a FEMALE child grows, there’s a concept of the son’s preference over her. The FEMALE is often told that she is not enough, and that is the reason parents try to CONCEIVE a MALE CHILD.

She is also told that when there is a MALE child in the home, the family will be complete.

She is FURTHER told, she is not enough because her parents need a son who usually will inherit the father’s property.

My mother didn’t go to college because her father said she can’t spend his money on her as a FEMALE and rather he prefers her to learn a trade and then get married. And true to type, she was married off, however, it was her late immediate sister that broke that yoke because she was sent to study.

The FEMALE child is also told that she is not enough due to some traditional and cultural beliefs.

This practice happens in different ways across Africa.

The FEMALE child grows up in this environment where she is conditioned to believe that she is less than a male child, and often she goes into the period of getting married. And in all these, she doesn’t have a voice until she gets married…My mother DIDN’T have a voice when she was told that younger girls don’t go to school and rather, they go learn a trade and are married off by their father.

Marriage gives you the right to be a woman and not just to get married, but to get married AND HAVE children, not just children but you must have a son who they conditioned to believe that he is the heir apparent.

So these are some of the obstacles, that are set up against African women, starting from birth, through childhood to when she hits puberty and therefore, into the early stages of getting into marriage.

This inhumane act against women should be called out as a crime.

This is my message.

Together we can break the bias against women and make a change.

Happy International Women’s Day

#BreakTheBias

~ Grace Okagbare