From whatever beginning, a woman's place is in the background, second place or treated as a trifle. No matter what contribution they make, it is perceived as only a job performed. Civilisation has corrupted mankind as Charles de Secondat also known as Baron de Montesqieu would think, it has in a way advanced societies where women have moved forward. Yet the struggle continues. Women are striving for a 35% right and it leaves one wondering what about a 50/50 thing. For sure there would be no women without men and vice versa.
In Africa, more women are still locked in the fight for equality. Africa, a place where folklore swayed, it continued to reflect in the western transition it is still going through. An African country like several others as created on the continent by the colonialist was a conglomorate of people of diverse characteristics with a common factor -woman's place in the second place. It reflected in the folklore -a tradition in communities and it reflected in real life. This story is a common folklore in how far women have gone inspite of westernisation in one of the African countries like this one:
'The women's wing of the ruling party had gathered in a rally. One issue that continued to be a major item on the agenda of the affairs of women was equity, which was the purpose of the gathering. They wanted equitable representation of both genders in politics and governance.
Buses and trucks brought many people mostly women from the interior with merchandise consisting mostly of snacks, drinks of all types and steaming variety of food. Parked in the streets were a heaving, expectant, and pushing human mass. Every space overlooking the town square was crammed with people. With the mammoth crowd, the podium stood like an oil platform on the sea.
The excited mammoth crowd, which was made up of mostly women of all shades; the married; young girls; spinsters and widows, young and old, were all beautifully dressed in expensive fabrics specially designed for the occasion. They were all in a high spirit buoyed by the fact that the wife of the president. Officially addressed as First Lady, she was coming as the special guest of honour. The venue was jam packed and almost suffocating. The highly tensed atmosphere was a revelation of the worth of women. Yet beyond the threshold, the woman had fallen short of recognition in every way, which the system never made it any better. The gathering was clear indication that they are not relenting.
Several women dance groups were performing simultaneously at different points and rendered the atmosphere into a disharmony of rumbling sounds and beats of musical instruments as every dance group tried to outclass the other. Some dance groups had male instrumentalists who met their match in the female instrumentalists.
A big chauffeur driven car carrying the First Lady zoomed into the venue in a long motorcade and a wave of hysteria swept through the crowd like electricity. Crowds of people scampered this way or that way with excitement as dancers danced with greater energy trying to show off who the best performer was. The instrumentalists with their instruments followed the dancers who had surged forward toward the approaching motorcade. Security officers brandishing clubs barricaded the excited dancers who nonetheless continued their rigorous dance in front of the officers.
The treatment accorded the First Lady and her entourage, no doubt showed how far the woman has gone up the ranks. A potbelly security man in his late forties, whose smart moves outclassed his looks, got out of the front seat of the First Lady's car and before it came to a full stop, he was already by the side of the First Lady's door. He opened the door and bowed. Several other security men whose attire -dark suits and dark glasses, made them all look alike, kept the hysterical crowd at bay.
The crowd cheered at the gorgeous and voluptuous woman as she stepped out from the back seat. The mood and magnitude of the crowd's disposition was not so different from what it would have been if it were a man. Several other women serving in the government, executive officers and friends accompanied her. As she led her entourage to the rostrum, security men kept watch on every side shoving off and pushing back women who came overly close. She wore brilliant white damask dress and was heavily bejewelled. Round her neck, in her pierced ears, on her wrists and fingers were gold ornaments that glimmered. Just like her, all the women in her entourage were so elaborately done that they completely overcastted the high lightings, colourful balloons, ribbons, banners and many other decors which graced the venue The wife of the governor also officially addressed as First Lady of the State was the host and started the day. Several other prominent women spoke on the occasion admonishing woman as a being before the guest of honour who was to speak last. The applause and shouts of the women died and the atmosphere became quiet and tensed like an archer's bow as the MC who was actually a woman introduced the guest of honour. There were very few people, if there was any that could damn make her out as Madam of Ceremony instead. It must have been funny and unthought-of why any woman no matter how well versed in any affair was Master of Ceremony. Women like Mrs. Rose Man, despite the fact that they could sing their own praises; having acquired what is a masters degree from the university, had never been addressed as master. A thought of madams' degree was non-existent.
In a tense and high monologue that swallowed the atmosphere accompanied by shouts of admonitions and appreciations, the First Lady delivered her message. Her speech prepared in its broad outlines -was overall, impressive. It was straight to the point, instinctive and very effective calling for a more active participation of her fellow women in politics and governance.
'The era where women are relegated to the background when it comes to decision making is old fashioned.' The excited crowd cheered and clapped as others waved their hands brandishing specially branded handkerchief. The women charged by her admonitions, which she relentlessly emphasised on to point out the unfair representation of women.
'When a woman decides what she wants,' she was talking in a country that had stood by the old order; where women had never been considered or given the chance to be principal decision makers, 'or is involved in whatever the matter is, even in women's affairs, the gender factor retrogressively comes in. Less than thirty percent of women occupy elective and appointive positions in this country. There are still more women qualified to occupy every vacant post. This alienation must be corrected.'
The First Lady paced on the rostrum with dignity pausing each time the crowd roared with excitement. 'As women,' she went on, 'we can influence positive changes in decision making in politics and governance through good suggestions to our husbands in high positions.
'We the women, by virtue of our number, gave the party the massive support that placed it where it is today.' She lamented the fact that in spite of their contributions, they were hardly recognised or giving portfolios commensurate to their contributions. This gender imbalance must change.' A thunderous cheer from the crowd again, temporally halted the speaker who kept watch and waited for the noise to subside. The loud speakers that amplifies her shrill feminine voice subsides it.
'The days when women were house warmers waiting on their husbands for survival is gone. We are tired of any culture or standards that are debasing, which is the reason for this gathering. We're set to bring this awareness to light and seek elective and appointive positions in governance.' The venue kept coming alive with loud cheers each time she made a point that was scathingly true.
She went on to encourage the women not to allow their children and wards to be recruited by politicians as thugs or touts purposely to intimidate, cause chaos, mayhem and other acts of violence during elections. 'This has been a very common occurrence in our politics. Definitely, women have never been involved in any form of political violence, mayhem or chaos. Women have always resorted to the right practise like, at worse, engaging in a general protest whenever their constitutional rights or privileges transgressed. After all, we will be the ones at the receiving end as widows and childless mothers. We have contributed immensely to the development of this nation so we deserve more.'
The few men who were part of the crowd displayed modesty, which could well be hypocritical since they invariably felt a knock on their ego. The First Lady emphasised on the progress women have made so far and pointed to the fact that there were women now at the helm of affairs in other nations because they never let 'pushover' men take the chances. Women were now beginning to be involved in the frontline of affairs and clearly close to the premier positions in their nations.
'In some homes, women are actually the breadwinners. They educate the children and hold on to the family when their husbands are jobless. It is unfortunate women have to do ten times what men do to be recognised. It is not a conventional practise that everyone got what they deserve proportionate to their contributions. It becomes worse that women get to play a role in these trepidations on themselves. Women have become instruments, which the men use to perpetrate their nefarious acts. On election day, women are paid by men to smuggle ballot papers stuffed in their brassiere or underwear; a place they considered a no go area for men when they choose to, into ballot boxes making them agents of conceit, betrayal and blackmail.'
Fortunately, for the women and unfortunately for the electoral officers at a polling unit at a time presidential election was on, only male security operatives were present. Some women who had stuffed ballot papers in their brassiere and panties were bold enough to resist search from the operatives and got away with their prank. It only went on to reinforce the adage this time by women especially in a place like this; a place where political office contesters were usually men; that not only behind every successful man is a woman but rather behind every success by some vices is a woman. If the crowd was stunned, the envisioned murmur of the suppressed discomfiture of the crowd proved it as it trickled out with deep hum, which the speaker gave way with a longer pause.
'Women are agents of change,' she went on as she turned her head; left and right over the crowd in front of her, 'whose responsibilities begin at home with the mentoring of children. When a woman is trained, the nation is trained,' the crowd of people never seemed to be able to conceal their excitements, which she also never let distract her as she went on calling for on the spot tutelage of women and encouraging them to do everything they can to enhance girl child education.
'We're a part of the nation and in central or essential positions; changes that women envisage would be imminent. We cannot go on with this baseless discrimination. We want changes in all ramifications, educationally and economically. When educated, we're transferred into human capital.' The thunderous cheer of the voices of women swallowed the air to deafness that made the few men around cringe. 'We're well read like men with equal abilities. I believe we also need to invite men to our conferences, which I believe, will enable them know our feelings better.
'Our conferences should not always be an all women's affair. Some husbands really have appreciated their wives. Such wives are not only wholly engaged in domestic responsibilities, as tiring as they may be. They have also combined it with the jobs they were in to and further to supplement the family earnings. We should appreciate the resolve of such men and give them room to join us in the struggle for equality,' a grin on the face of some of the men around put across their excitement principally out of the feeling that they appreciated and
'Women like men are humans with the same character traits attributed to human beings. I know women who are physically, mentally, psychologically and spiritually more firm than men do and vice versa. It is so unfortunate most women and men do not realise the former when it comes to egalitarianism. It is so incongruous such men and women are so susceptible to the latter. I also know the parity of men and women in firmness and steadfastness. No matter how many they are from both sides, and the people that understand this, it's a matter usually dumped in a bin. We need to understand where we stand and stop stunting or relegating ourselves. Cheers of excitement from the women expressing their yearnings over the civil liberties of women now and again overshadow the speeches of the guest of honour.
'Sexual harassment has been a common phenomenon and most of the victims had been girls and women and no matter how young or old, none is exempted. We hate rape and rapists. We need to get to the position of authority to stamp out such malaise as it now appears.'
As criminalising as it is, women were ever at the receiving end with very little or no reparations. It became a case women were afraid, ashamed and indisposed to report. The First Lady was ever at the call for greater support for women in dire circumstances as well as those that were positively touching people's life.
'As usual in this country, the important role women played, as important as they may be, go unobserved or disregarded and unrewarded.' The First Lady brought it to the awareness of women that time and research has demonstrated that when women earn income, more children especially girls go to school. 'Fewer children will be affected by disservices,' she fired.
'In countries where the importance of individuals are realised and acknowledged, women are never ignored. We're gathered here to bring to light that women, whether they're of the literati or not, have accomplished greatness and above all, they're are mothers.' The excitement in the crowd rose to a frenzy with the heavy sound of the musical instruments reverberating along. 'We have done the most credible things yet we seldom have or ever given the opportunity to be seen or heard. We break our back for our nation and family to provide food and expend insurmountable care on children regarded as the future and leaders of the country. We are worthy of commemorations.' The excitement never stopped booming and echoing with great cheer from the crowd with solemnity.
She went on to charge the women on the need of change. 'We need to break free from the old ways of reasoning and the way we do things to a more vibrant and innovative way. Change is constant, consistent, and inevitable though you have those who engage in acts to evade changes. We are living in a highly dynamic world. Individuals, groups, organisations, technologies and even our husbands are changing. The woman, in such a world, cannot be an exception.' The crowd once again found their voices and the deafening shout of approval filled the air.
In another unanticipated turn, the excitement died as curiosity hovered over the crowd. The speaker called on women not to contest for the position of a governor in one of the states. The governor of the said state had embarked on a policy that was employing a large amount of work force. The population made up of mostly women were benefitting from it. Many women, for the first time, did not only have the opportunity to gainful employment, they were encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities with fair remunerations, and they became empowered. A woman had aspired to contest in the election for the position of a governor in one of the states and the fact that she was a woman, like in many job vacancies; it was what made the headlines in the news.
In several other countries, women had moved to positions they were never considered fit or eligible no matter how qualified they were. Their ineligibility was usually because they were women and systematically. They are tossed away as if they are waste.
Surprisingly, it has taken an unanticipated dimension that a woman could now be the head of an African nation. A nation carved out of an assembly of villages, communities, towns and cities that had put into practise traditions and customs that devaluated women.
'We have not gathered here for an overthrow of any sort or rebellion,' she explained, 'but we're here to be assertive on matters that are our prerogatives and rights. Until our potentials are realised; until we take a stance on what we want for ourselves, no one will do it for us.' The crowd once again, vivaciously cheered as she went on and on extolling the virtues of women who had made impacts not only to their status as women but to their society.
Now and again, women have shown greater enthusiasm to widen their horizon and constituting more than half of the population, there are the formidable ones who have been relentless. She argued that they must take charge and become both the defenders and promoters of their course. 'We're not going to give up to the robbery of rights caused by perceived pettiness or jealousy against us,' she never stops brimming in the gathering of women who appreciated her drive.
'We should stop agonising and rather organise to achieve what we deserve.' Women showed loyalty to men who were moneybags that were unaware and most times undermined what women can offer them. The First Lady was never a resenting woman, yet it made her daring.
In as much as most of the women gathered had become faithful of the religion the white man came with, it had filled them with bewilderment realising what the white man had experienced in his domain. The missionaries had actually started the transformation that had attracted the natives. The Holy Book was the instrument they used without compromise.
Yet a woman had hardly ruled any of the kingdoms as observed in the Holy Book. At most, one could only be a regent as it had been in several African communities that gave women the only chance to rule. It emphasised the fact that man had always seen himself as a superior over woman. Most of the women at the gathering went on wondering if that was really the set up or plan of God that they must embrace.
The commotion that followed was as surprising as it was unprecedented and caused a stampede but the crowd dispersed in every direction with hilarity. The uninvited guest came to the event unannounced. Probably he was angry because he was either, not considered good for the day or the reason for the gathering was not in his interest. Consequently, without warning, he came and chased everyone away. That was Mr. Rain. Mrs. Rain would have announced her coming, which have given the crowd all the chances to scale away. Dark clouds would have raced and chased themselves in the immeasurable sky, strong breeze, lightening, or claps of thunder would have passed the message to warn everyone and saved many from getting drenched.
Before their dispersal, they had hastily and with resistance in registering, agreed on what to discuss in the next session of the association the wife of the president had inaugurated and dubbed WOMEN AND POLITICS.
The struggle for the emancipation of the woman over what they perceived as restraints to their advancement was not an event of a single month or year. It was an issue, which transcended generations and still going on. An issue that had taken various forms of brutalisation and torture on the proponents of women's rights. Having participated in all the stages in the struggle and fight for the independence of the nation, as such, any form of gender disparity should find no dwelling place in such a nation. They saw no reason why women, confined to some particular place because they were women. Such women were emboldened to fight against what they perceived as very oppressive and abusive acts to womanhood. They remained defiant in the face of threats and intimidations and rather, it construed mere stubbornness. Yet they sustained torture, brutalization and stood unrelentingly firm on what they believed in and wanted for their femininity -impartiality and equity.
One woman started it then another followed, and then another and more and more. Every one of them was inspired by the defiance and unrelenting spirit of the other. Notwithstanding her religious affiliation with a very stiff stance on intolerance of women, one of such women was a real die-hard. Inspired by a woman who fought for the right of women in her area to vote in elections, she put it upon herself the responsibility of bringing to the uneducated women the awareness of not only their rights but also the equality to which they were entitled. In the process, she made friends she was prepared to protect and foes she was ready to fight.
It never surprised this woman when her husband presented to her a written note of divorce when it was very clear that she would not go back or compromise what she believed. In her community, the women received such notes. The thought of losing her four years old marriage and the only child she ever came to have did not fill her with compunction any more than what she thought of the degrading and sometimes dehumanising place of the woman. If there were any sacrifice that would bring the woman to a fifty-fifty position that would have come to be her only pursuit, it would be what she deserves.
The damning reports of his wife's activities were too much for him to bear and to him; a divorce was the only way out. Other women faced queries, warned and even received divorce threats if they ever associated with Aminat. She had to park her personal items back to her parents. Her father was more than gloomy seeing his daughter in the predicament she had brought upon herself. The visit of law enforcement agents to his home almost on a regular basis in the months that followed was the worst things that tried his dignity. She remained unyielding to what she believed. Defiance he believed, caused by her education.
The comparative quietness and peacefulness of one particular morning was very deceptive as the later events of the day proved. A number of people though most of them women, which was quite an unusual phenomenon, had gathered outside Aminat's father house. A couple of lawyers were there, several trade unionists and some teachers discussing in voices hushed. They were murmuring some plans, which was all about launching a platform from where they could vent their feelings.
'Once we are ready, we shall bring in all women; homemakers, widows, the aged women and from every work of life, we shall march out... ' With her voice rising above the hum in the gathering, she vented out the plans. After several arrests and detentions in a maximum-security prison, handled in the manner of a capital offence and warned never to hold such gathering the stronger was her resolution. A police van anywhere approximately her father's house had become a common thing in sight.
Four police officers with eyes like marijuana smokers, in a commando style jumped out of the van before it even stopped as it approached where the people were gathered. Every one of them knew what was to come next so they never waited to be certain as they all dashed off in the opposite directions.
Aminat stood her ground and a frown creased her face as she watched the men close in on her. Grabbing her by the arms, they half dragged and half carried her to the van. Shouts of scorn and abuses trailed them. Nonetheless, they went about their hostile act with indifference as if they had no ears.
They rained blows on her when she refused to enter the van. A hard kick in the abdomen and another one in the face took the lights off her senses. She saw stars twirl in the darkness as the heaviest blow that ever hit her cracked her cranium. She became limp and thrown into the van like a sack containing sawdust. They drove off with shouts of abuses in their trail.
Of what happened after that, she had a confused memory. Loss of blood had made her fade out. When she came to, she realised vaguely that she was lying in a stretcher and her wounds roughly bound up. It made her feel numb. Her next memory was of been put to bed and given a draught.
Aminat woke up with awkward feelings she had never felt before. The strong odour of antibacterial solution hung in the air -the only precursor that told her she was still alive and in a hospital when she came to. Her head covered this time, not with the traditional hood-like covering subjected for women to wear, but with bandages that looked like the turban men wore and portrayed them as men of prominence.
A broken leg was in a cast, propped up and hanging from a pole. She cut an ugly picture in the hospital room where the beeping sound of monitors stole the silence as fluids dripped from pumps through pipes. It turned out to be her dwelling place for more than a week. She underwent an operation, which was imperative to remove the damaged foetus that was barely four weeks.
The gang of youths that hung around the scene of the affray and watched what happened were highly infuriated at the handling of Aminat. Here, they thought, was someone lynched. She was not a criminal. She was treated the way it was often done to a bandit by a mob; but for standing firm on humanitarian causes, which was for the benefit of women, moreover, mothers.
The community went berserk at the news that spread in different versions. With the police station attacked, it resulted to an uncontrollable chaos. Miscreants, touts, and hoodlums took advantage of the situation and began to unleash mayhem, sacking one market after the other, beating up people and robbing them of their wares and belongings.
The women whose struggle was the cause of the chaos not spared. Politicians in other parts of the country that were not part of the ruling party gave it a political tone and supported the women's course. Thugs were organised in gangs and non-partisans joined the fracas.
An unruly mob, hoodlums and private armies that had held the ruling class with great resentment and scorn for starting the nation down the alleyway of inflation and knowing that they had nothing to lose but rather stakes to claim, went about disrupting activities and a reign of terror and confusion held grounds.
Four years after, she still felt both the physical and the emotional thoroughness. It rather spurred her and made her stronger and determined woman. At fifty-three, Aminat had become a mother to thirteen children who will ever find it hard to believe she was not their real mother. She had become a matter of awareness to most of the citizens who did not relent in their effort to make the nation know who or what she symbolised. Anyone emboldened with the belief of the victory of good over evil stood by her. A future pack of good citizens was what her children implied -a replicate of herself.
The existence of these children became a matter of awareness and documented and her efforts appreciated. Though they were once abandoned with very bleak or no future, she acknowledged them and they became children cared for in a parental home. With Aminat, it became widely acknowledged that women were vital to the improvement and development of the society and forthwith, the nation. She never relented in all that she did for as long as she lived. She was born at a time it was a belief that education made a woman disrespectful of her husband. Education was a something that men believe would lose authority. Educated wives would be wiser with opened eyes and mind. Thus, parents willingly sent only male children to school. The females, groomed for early marriage, were engaged in household chores and hawking to supplement family income.
Aminat was worth an Amazon in a community where women were hardly empowered and seldom given the chance to participate even in matters that affected them as women. The high level of illiteracy as it was common in women had blinded them to the ugly scenario that engulfed them. The elimination of gender disparity in basic education became imperative with Aminat's strategies.
'Education is the best anyone can bequeath to every generation,' she had said this several times when she was in the company of those who had been overwhelmed by her benevolence -a habit that was burdensome even to many men in the society. Her habitual remarks became doubtless as many people has to realise that her literacy had opened her mind to the principles of rights and egalitarianism.
Women are in a tunnel. It started somewhere and there is no doubt it ends somewhere and at the end of every tunnel is light no matter how hazardous.
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