Feminism in Cross Cultural Perspective Women in Africa Discussion

Pamela J. Olubunmi Smith wrote the following article about the struggles of feminism in African women. The increase of the feminist movement in America not only drove action for women rights across the states but in Africa as well. Although feminist movements in Africa grew stronger, African women have a history of their own. Smith talks about the women’s riots to fight for their rights. The Harry Thukua Massacre in Kenya, The Anlu Uprising and The Aba Women’s Riot in Eastern Nigeria are only a few of historic female rebellions to be heard. These protests all had different goals and meaning. Women protested against oppressive colonial agricultural policies. Because of this, the advantage of their rights to crops were taken from them. Smith lets her reader know that there has been no silence in women suffrage in African. “In the casof Eastern Nigeria as in other colonized parts of the continent, the imposition of government systems alien to women’s autonomy and economic security and put in place the subordination of women”. Meaning that long before the 1920s, feminism was still relevant and was charged by anti-colonial sentiments. The government system was still foreign to the idea of feminism and was slowly eating away at the idea. Bohannon and Curtin states that “women like all commodity became property” as they describe pre-colonial African women’s “high social positioning”. Women economic and political positions were dropped. Smith then mentions that even though there is an infinite battle with a male-dominated capitalist government, women still protested and kept guarding their rights. Feminism in Africa still have a long road a head of it. Feminism in Africa is far from leaving conventional traditional social mores but the status of women enhances with modemization and African feminism is continuing to increase and be more well known for all African women.

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Feminism in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Women of Africa by Pamela J. Olubunmi Smith is about the feminism in Africa. In this reading Pamela described the problems that women have face today and in the past in Africa. The aim of this reading is to explain the nature and role of African feminism . One of the topics in this reading is the oppression and exploitation of women in Africa. In this reading Pamela talks about why women are treated the way that they are today and in the past. This reason is because Africa is so rooted in tradition it is hard to make change. A lot of women have taken change upon themselves. You can see that in page 14 of this document. Today many african women can be described one of two ways. They can be described as semi-educated and urbanized as the shuttle between western and African tradition or they can be described as rural and illiterate bound by deep seated tradition.  This is what Pamela meant when she conveyed how some women are making the change in this wave of feminism. Another topic that Pamela talked about in her essay is the traditions in Africa. In this part of the document Pamela described how significant of a role the church plays in the political and everyday lives of women. The church does this by helping them advocate for themselves but at the same time for some women the church brings them down. One thing that really surprised me about this document is the fact that many women are still a long way from abandoning the conventional traditions and social mores even though they are oppressive. Although it is not terribly surprising since I can see examples of people in America doing the same, I would have thought that maybe women in Africa would have taken more of chance. At the same time I realize that they can’t always do that.

In the beginning article “Feminism in cross-cultural perspective: Women in Africa” the author Pamela J. Olubunmi Smith talks about the recent history of the cultural issues that deal with marriage and women in Africa. Soon after that, Smith gives her main idea of the essay, “The aim of this essay is to examine the nature and role of African feminism in light of the condition of Africa” (Smith 11). As the text goes on Smith explains that the problems that affect the women of Africa are deeply rooted in the nature of traditional society. Meaning they  faced with a very complex situation that effects all women in Africa. Pamela later gives her definition of feminism and she describes it as,” Feminism is the need for that other perspective, that other voice and is required for an integral and meaningful definition of what it means to be a cohesive and healthy human community” (Smith 12).  To support this definition Smith goes on to explain that in order to achieve a society that structurally safe we must combat “the exploitation and oppression of both men and women and by raising the consciousness of all African women regardless of class” (Smith 12).  After this definition and plan is set Smith goes through the history of female militancy throughout Africa between 1922 and 1959. In this portion of history it shows many different forms of uprisings and riots that were conducted by and for women. As a result of Africa’s governments failure to give way to traditional ways of life the Women of the continent responded with what is commonly know as the Aba women’s riot. This took place in 1976 and lasted foe an entire month. All in all the large political movements that have been lead by the women of Africa have given way to many leaps in political power for women across the continent.

Second Example 

This weeks reading was about the women in Africa. Because of the new wave of feminism in the United States, as well as other declarations, women in Africa started to be heard. Pamela J. Olubunmi Smith wrote this essay “to examine the nature and role of African feminism in light of the condition of women… so that we might be truly free to be and become”. (Smith 11). African feminism is defined as understanding the experiences women go through in African society. The problems that the African women face in society are “deeply rooted in the nature of traditional society” (Smith 13). In 1944, political gains have been made, including women’s franchise in Nigeria. There has been many female writers who gave women a voice about the mistreatment they have been receiving. “African women writers emphasize the fact that the social condition of women in Africa is fraught with contradictions”. (Smith 14). In societies where there is male dominance, women are bound to suffer. There are 4 different aspects women would suffer: biological, social, political oppression, and exploitation. There are many obstacles women in Africa face, one being polygyny. Since there is such a widespread of polygyny in Africa, it will be hard for it to just go away. There is also a long history of it and African men continue to practice it. Men ignore the stress it put on women. There are a lot of people that are trying to help women overcome this battle. Churches “play a significant political role in helping women to build a more dynamic community of women by educating them to be their own advocates”. (Smith 16). The church also advances “feminism by eradicating the sexism…”. (Smith 16). Women all over the world are fighting for equality, and won’t give up until we get it.