Musicman 1
A major initiative aimed at achieving gender equality in Africa is underway. The
African Women’s Decade (2010-2020) has been adopted by the African Union (AU),
the continental organization that encompasses 53-member states.
This decade of struggle has been initiated by the Women and Gender Development
Directorate of the AU. A series of declarations, protocols and conventions have
been adopted over the last several years aimed at achieving the full
representation of women in the politics and national economies on the continent.
One such resolution called the Solemn Declaration, urges member states in the AU
to carry out programs to end violence against women. On January 30 the AU began
the Africa Unite Campaign to end Violence Against Women.
In preparation for the official launching of the African Women’s Decade on
October 15, which is also World Rural Women’s Day, the AU’s Women Gender and
Development Directorate offered courses from February 8 through 19 at the
Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two weeks of courses were
offered in both English and French.
These courses involved 25 delegates from Ministries of Gender, Finance and
Economic Development of various member states. A skillfully selected set of
course materials advanced theoretical and practical tools designed to fully
integrate gender issues into the overall economic policies on the African
continent.
According to a document released by the Women, Gender and Development
Directorate on the rationale and general objectives of the Decade of Women, it
states that “To date the women of Africa, like women elsewhere, have not been
included as full, equal and effective stakeholders in processes that determine
their lives. For example, women continue to have less access to education than
men; they continue to have less employment and advancement opportunities; their
role and contribution to national and continental development processes are
neither recognized nor rewarded; they continue to be absent from
decision-making; and, although they bear the brunt of conflicts, women are
generally not included in peace negotiations or other initiatives in this
regard.” (African Union, March 1, 2010)
Current Status of Women in Africa
Even though the legacies of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism created
extreme social inequalities for women on the African continent and throughout
the Diaspora, significant progress has been made over the last two decades. One
observer from afar made the following statement in regard to the status of women
in Africa that “When you look at women’s involvement in government it seems
like they are ahead of even the United States in terms of power sharing between
the sexes.” (Feminists for Choice, Dec. 3, 2009, Comment from Andrea)
This observer continued by pointing out that “Liberia inaugurated Africa’s
first female president in 2006. Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was a
leader in her country’s peace movement. She defeated a soccer star with nearly
60% of the vote.”
This writer goes on to illustrate that “In other African nations, women make
up a significant part of their governments. Rwanda leads all nations in this
regard with 48.8% of its parliament being women. Other African nations with high
percentages of women in government include Mozambique at 34.8%, South Africa at
32.8% and Tanzania at 30.4%. It makes our government (U.S.) seem quite
inadequate on the gender equity frontlines. In the U.S. Congress women only hold
17% of the seats.” (Feminists for Choice, 2010 Declared African Women Decade)
These gains stem from the policy initiatives proposed by various women’s
organizations on the African continent that have been adopted by governments and
the AU. National mechanisms have been established designed to mainstream
women’s issues into the policies, plans and programs of government.
Nonetheless, these mechanisms for the full integration of women into government
and national economic decision-making processes have been stalled as a result of
the lack of funding as well as continuing resistance by male-dominated state
structures that are reinforced by the world imperialist system. The current
global economic crisis has disproportionately affected Africa and consequently
the status of women.
The rise in food prices, the decline in export earnings for commodities and the
impact of climate change has impacted African women severely. In sub-Saharan
African states, the production of agricultural commodities make up 21 percent of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and women are responsible for 60-80 percent of
the food supply. Yet the income generated by this economic activity is not
equitably distributed to women.
Mary Wandia said in a recent article that “While states have failed to fulfill
their commitments, they are undermining regional and international standards by
introducing anti-human rights bills. Several governments have adopted or are in
the process of adopting discriminatory legislation reversing fundamental
women’s rights including, but not limited to, bills on criminalization of HIV,
indecent dressing laws and anti-homosexuality bills. These bills violate various
rights: The right to privacy and confidentiality, the right to sexual integrity
and autonomy, the right to bodily integrity, freedom from discrimination, the
right to health, the right to equal protection before the law, freedom of
association, sexual and reproductive rights, freedom of choice, the right to
life, etc.” (Pambazuka News, Nov. 19, 2009)
In regard to land redistribution policy, the contradiction between the stated
aims of gender equality and the continuing role of customary law has hampered
the efforts to improve the status of women. A recent thesis submitted at the
University of Gothenburg, Sweden studied the impact of land reform in
post-apartheid South Africa and ownership rights under traditional cultural
norms within the society.
Annika Rudman in her study of South African land policy stated that “Taking as
my starting point the new constitution, which came into force in 1997, I have
examined the function and status of customary law in South African land reform,
and have attempted to highlight the legal problems many black South African
women have to deal with when they try to gain access to land through the new
system.” (The Namibian, Feb. 26, 2010)
According to Rudman, traditional leaders have an important role to play in the
land redistribution process by ensuring that customary law does not conflict
with national governmental policy. The racist apartheid system allocated 87
percent of the productive land to the European settlers and relegated the most
arid remaining land to the African population which constituted the overwhelming
majority of people within the society.
The legal analyses emanating from Rudman’s work point to the relationship
between land reform and the elimination of poverty among women. Her thesis
places land redistribution within the context of national development. She
asserts that traditional leaders must develop laws which mandate gender equality
in line with the post-apartheid constitution adopted in 1997.
In neighboring Namibia, which was under the control of apartheid South Africa
prior to 1990, the government will soon ratify the international convention on
equal wages for men and women. A resolution passed by the cabinet on February 9
states that “Convention 100 (of the International Labor Organization) on Equal
Remuneration of 1951 is the only ILO core convention that Namibia has not yet
ratified.” ( Namibian Ministry of Information statement, Feb. 9)
This convention has been ratified by all of the member states of the regional
organization, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as 44
other African states and 167 nations around the world.
African Women and Reconstruction of the Continent
Africa cannot effectively challenge and overcome centuries of exploitation and
oppression without the liberation of women being a central aspect of the
struggle for genuine political freedom and economic independence. In a recent
gathering of the Socialist Forum of Ghana, this notion was emphasized in light
of the ongoing challenges posed by neo-colonialism, where western imperialism
continues to dominate the economic and political life on the continent.
In a talk delivered by Dr. Dzodi Tsikata, a Lecturer at the University of Ghana,
Legon, on February 25, she stated that “The African woman will spearhead the
march towards the New African that Dr. Nkrumah had evoked on the eve of
Ghana’s political independence in 1957, the ‘New African’ who is conscious
of the African personality. This concept is not associated with a particular
state, language, religion, political system, or color of skin. It takes account
of our diversity, the influence of Christianity, Islam and our African
Traditions in our societies today.” (Ghana News Agency, Feb. 26, 2010)
Dr. Tsikata was addressing the Socialist Forum in commemoration of the Centenary
celebrations marking the birth of former President Kwame Nkrumah and the 44th
anniversary of the right-wing U.S.-engineered coup in 1966 against the socialist
first Republic headed by Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP).
According to Dr. Tsikata, “The call for economic self-reliance, social
justice, national cohesion, and greater continental integration is relevant now
because sustainable economic development that impact on us with special economic
development is still out of reach. This re-awakening, therefore, cannot happen
without the active participation of African women in policy decisions.”
Abayomi Azikiwe