Feminism has always been a controversial issue especially in Africa and many theories have emerged like feminism in ‘unAfrican‘ but only one snatched my attention. It was a conversation between my boss and some young journalists, one of the young man said that ‘feminism is a reason for women to punish men for the sins of their fathers’. I know right very deep yet absurd that someone would think that way. News flash and I’m sure it is going to be a revelation for many misogynists, feminism is not an ideology of competition but a platform to fight for woman to experience opportunities on a fair and equal basis.
So for all man out there, feminism is not your enemy or a weapon forged against your existence. In the words of David Spencer “Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponent. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, and practiced no cruelty”. If feminism is a battle between man and woman then it is now a community of sexism which we all ought to change in the first place. Let me give you factual reason why feminism exist not this tag of war between men versus women we see every day. The truth is feminism is a necessity in Africa. On a serious scale Africa rank lowest in the global gender index, have some of the highest numbers of domestic violence and other harmful traditions, child marriages for instance.
Did you know that in African countries like Algeria and Tunisia, a law exist that allow rapists to escape prosecution by marrying their teenage victims? Morocco recently did away with a similar law, although other laws in the country are still failing survivors of sexual violence. This what feminism is fighting against not a battle of who did what better? Pssh get real people this is not the battle of the sexes. Just imagine yourself in that same scenario where you will live with your abuser for the rest of your life, the horror of being victimized whilst the perpetrator goes ‘Scott’ free. It is unthinkable that such exist that punishes victims rather than protecting them just to save face for the man species. This is insanity in its highest levels and some people say feminism is un-African when such vile things are happening under their watch.
Feminism has always been there before the name was coined. You might not use the term or familiar with it but as long you act and talk towards equity of opportunities for women in actual sense you are a feminist. The action contribute because feminism battles sexism, inequality, social welfare and it takes a liberal minded person to ask certain stereotypical assumptions that are thrown at woman in most black communities. We all them like women belong in the kitchen and they are fragile. It is so sickening when women are treated as special babies’ right? More like they are ought to be protected like seriously? Research proves that challenging experience is an effective tool as it presents an opportunity to learn. So why leave women out of such a life changing experience?
Munashe Chakonda
