GENDER EQUALITY: IS IT AN ACT OF CULTURALLY INCORRECTNESS?
“Women are objects of comfort”, said one Ghanaian presidential candidate during the 2001 presidential debate. This statement activated a lot of controversy among many Ghanaian women against this candidate, feeling the statement was a sign of disrespect to women. I believe, probably, that some of these women comprehended it quiet differently from the way I caught it. Women have always been inducers of comfort wherever they are. They have been readily employed by some companies because they command a high pedigree of confidence and trust within the hearts of employers and the statement, “It is a complement to be trusted than to be loved” cannot be truer. Women softens the grounds for men as this empower men to display their agility in sensitive matters with peacefulness of mind and a sense of pride, hence the popular saying, “Behind every successful man there is a woman”.
But, are women respected in Africa? Are they fairly treated at the work places? Are they given equal opportunities accorded to men in the society? These questions have resulted in women rights activism in many parts of Africa, and in Ghana especially. In Ghana, the resultant effect of this activism led to the construction of WAJU to help curtail down a lot of inhuman treatments women are subjected to. By the Africa Report, about half of all female injuries that take place in Guinea are attributed to violence from men. In Congo, recently, Women have become casualties of war as they are subject to the sharp blades of rape both by rebels and government soldiers who are suppose to protect them, to make a statement to government. Somewhere in India, there were terrible cases about women who where often washed thoroughly by acid bath, a strategy employed by jealous husbands and fiancés to permanently make them unattractive to other men.
I think there is something fundamentally wrong with African cultural heritage that denies women the voice in society. Embedded in the African culture is a concept that socially confines women to mediocre positions and it is forbidden for a woman to express her mind in the gathering of men. African women are always put at the place where all forms of tedious tasks are compounded upon them as though headship of men meant slavery of women. Because of the social negation conferred upon them, either directly or indirectly, many women are denied the best of education. It was just recently that programs to educate the girl-child were really enforced into place, in Ghana, through the acts of various human rights activism. Now, here is the question, why won't a continent give proper education to the women who weave the food baskets and fill these baskets with food for all in the continent and amount to about 70% of all workforce that gives Africa her daily bread?. In Guinea, illiteracy rate among women as opposed to men is staggering and mind boggling; 79% for women and 44% for men (The Africa Report). It is confirmed further that 60% of women in Guinea acquire primary education a figure that drops significantly to 28% at the secondary level of education and tears triggering 9% percent at the tertiary level. Where are we going with this, Africa? Dr. Aggrey's statement, “If you educate a man you educate an individual but when you educate a woman you educate a whole nation” is greatly to be adhered to as a stimulus to encourage female education in African societies but not necessarily a philosophy that must be accepted without a debate.
This is because, in the case where women form the largest workforce in Africa, they need good education to even do better at what they do best. On the other hand when male education is lost on the priority list there will be more instability on the Continent of Africa. Men are naturally more aggressive and survival inclined than women; not focusing on quality education for men means more unskilled men who will be unfit for certain kinds job and consequently unattainable meaningful income. This will spark a lot of frustrations among these men and a lot of moral laws will be flouted as survival instincts will begin to push some to the wall.
Women must be integrated into society and all of its structures that men are allowed to function in. The concept, man-woman partnership, for sustainable development is not only political and moral but divine. In the Judeo-Christian text book (The Holy Bible) women are referred to as help mates for men. However, is it not amazing that in many African societies men have been deluded into thinking that they are rather helping the women to fulfill this divine agenda for the families, neighborhoods, communities, cities, and nations on the African continent? This divine concept of man-woman partnership endorses the indispensableness of the 180º back-to-back defensive tactics, which means that in every nation where men and women are given equal opportunities, education, capital, and many other positive initiative they make a complete circle of economic growth and developments, policies, infrastructural developments, a stable nation, good governance, among more. The reason is simple, the men cater for the 180º of the responsibilities and the women do same for the other 180º, thus, creating the positive and the strong 360º circumference line around every situation Africa stands to face.
If the campaign is gender equality, then females must not be allowed to pursue medical science with certain grades where as their male counterparts with the same grade are not. This is morally unjustifiable because it decreases utility. Africans must realize that there are certain fundamental problems with our culture that must be revised if we shall attain certain levels of development. Indeed men are heads, a divine truth that cannot be opposed, but women are not slaves either. In the male genes you have XY; X for female and Y for male but in the female genes you YY all representing male. This means woman was, indeed, created from a man but not the opposite, even genetics confirm this truth. It is this fundamental truth that allows man ascends the ladder of headship whether as a husband or not. Yet, in all this, women are not slaves they are co-partners with men to bring about peace, freedom, prosperity, and sustainable development for all.
In conclusion, I say, no woman must be oppressed or forced to submit to a man who is not pursuing and fulfilling his responsibilities; the only reason she is a help mate to man. And even if that man is fulfilling his responsibilities, he has no right to oppress any woman under is rule because you can not force anyone against his or her wish when they are under your authority; It is morally unjustifiable, misappropriation of authority, and an abuse to human rights.
Fidel Y. Tetteh
Development / Accra / Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com