Friday, March 04, 2005

Why the avante-garde African woman is fishing beyond the lakes of her race

A perplexing phenomenon is happening ladies and gentlemen, the modern African woman has discovered that there are greener pastures beyond her tribe, culture and race. As a matter of fact the conformist African man is slowly becoming obsolete and ineffectual to the needs of the progressive African woman.

Make no mistake about it, we are not talking about economic refugees or unapprised women with an obtuse post-colonial mentality. We are talking about educated , informed and well cultured african women who have decided that living in a gender oppresive marriage or any other romantic amalgamation based on outdated traditions and mindsets, is not a road they plan to traverse.

Indeed the conservative or conformist African man has to re-evaluate his attitude towards women in general if he is to remain a viable suitor to any woman not just the African woman in particular. The misplaced attitude that women's role in society is limited to child bearing, domestic duties and quenching the fire in men's loins, is defunct and should be tenaciously obliterated.

As a matter of fact, the African woman has graced the isles of global economic podiums and contributed greatly to global socio-political spheres. A good example is Dr. Wangari Maathai who won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize therefore becoming not only the first African woman but the the only black woman to have ever been awarded the coveted prize. Of course some retarded men dismissed Dr.Maathai's monumental achievements as a tree-hugger's undeserving plaque. This attitude is at the very least contemptible. It reminds me of an Aids awareness lecture I attended, that was presented by my good friends Dr. Anne Githinji and Professor Chao of the university of New Mexico, two outstanding scholars who are sending ripples through the American Southwest. In the lecture, the two female scholars shared their plans to start a tuition free school for under-priviledged HIV children. An African man who shall remain nameless, puckishly dismissed their brilliant plans by saying, "It is good to have a vision." A moment of silence while we ponder the sacarsm and foolishness of that statement. It almost seems that African men think that they deserve respect just because they are men. My dear brothers, having a stick and two balls between your legs does not add weight to your derisory status.

In closing, Hillary Clinton is quoted as having said that the greatest problem facing Africa is gender inequality. Whether or not we agree with that statement, gender inequality is a problem that is plaguing our continent. The deadly HIV Virus has been spread by the apathetic actions and primordial attitudes of African men. Practises like wife sharing, wife inheritance, pre-arranged marriages, rape, domestic abuse go on incessantly all over the African continent. Every night thousands of innocent African women are physically tortured by their husbands, many times in full view of their little children. This systematic abuse, torture and discrimination of African women needs to cease. Bigotry has no place in African society.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at it, empowered African women have options that they are and already have explored. The message to the African Man is simple, loose your ways or loose your women.