Saiks,
Your sentiments RE: March 8 greetings is a sincere one and I commend you for
it. However, we need to move beyond sentiments as Africans in order to move
forward.
The point I want put across is: What does the oppressed women of palestine
share in common with the oppressor women of Israel? In fact, what does the
oppressed women of the oppressed nations share in common with the oppressor
women of the oppressor nations? What I want all of us to be cleared about is
the fact that new imperialism,like the old one is still causing more harm to
the women of the oppressed nations than the so called "oppressed men" of the
oppressed nations. I am not denying that there is no oppression of women in
our part of the world. There is. But why to day we are talking about the
oppression of women in Africa?
The reason is clear.Through out the history of the African struggle for
independence from colonialism, the contribution of women have been denied by
men. In Afircan history however, women always have a historical role and in
most cases, more important than the role of African men. For us to do
justice, the condition of our women as well as our peoples', must be put in
its proper historical perspective. Otherwise, we will follow other peoples'
agendas for our own enslavement. For the super-exploitation of Africa today
is benefiting every child, man, woman of the oppressor nations. Our strength
must lie in our historical experience in comparison to others. There is a
diffrence. To understand what I am saying, please look at historical
evolution of women in Europe and compare it with the historical evolution of
women in Africa. You will see the difference. Otherwise read "male daughters
female husbands," by a Ngerian sister. You will see why male children in The
Gambia have their mother's first names as second names even before the
father's surname,i.e. "modou Binta ceesay."
Or why African women do not disappear in marriage like western women, for
abandoning their family names for their husbands' surnames. The struggle of
our women must also be part of the struggle against all forms of
exploitation and backwardness of our continent.
>From: saikss <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: March 8 Greetings
>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 12:24:48 +0100
>
>Marc 8 is been observed through out the world as an International
>solidarity
>day with women. The long battle for equality by Gambian women still
>remains
>a history in the making. Since Independent their contribution to the
>political
>life of the country have been cornered to that of "Fan Clubs" and YAYI
>KOMPINS
>and the semi feudal nature of the Gambian society continue to strangle them
>in
>the corner of motherhood, bearing children, finding food and house wives.
>The
>majority of Gambian women live in acute poverty whiles they remain the
>touch
>bearers of hope in the society.
>But this has never led to any surrendering of their wish and desire of a
>better society. Their love songs are full of protest and the stories they
>tell
>their children in the night portray the inhuman conditions they are
>subjected
>to live .I grew up with one of these stories; A woman who when to pay her
>tax
>to the king never returned back home, she was murdered for reasons beyond
>reason. There are plenty of such stories, perhaps one day we will come to
>recognise that these are also forms of struggle.
>After Independence, it took us even long to arrive at Louis Njie and it
>took
>time to go beyond that level. The women's Bureau emerged as the talking
>drum
>of the establishment and today we have plenty of women gender activist who
>dear to go further than the limits set by men domination. One would recall
>the
>great efforts of sisters like Satang Jobarteh during the last elections;
>they
>struggled to put on the political agenda very important issues that have
>for
>years not been recognised in the political life of our country. These are
>sisters who have and are sacrificing a lot to make women struggle for
>equality
>in our society to become an uncompromising political issue in the country.
>They are running institutions, programmes etc all in the efforts of
>empowering
>women. Perhaps it is time for some of us to start thinking of ways of
>contributing to theses struggles too, perhaps the next donation
>contribution
>collections should go to them. Happy March 8 sisters.
>
>For Freedom
>Saiks
>
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