The Standpoint: A Guide To Modernize African Woman

The StandPoint : Listen to the feminine side

"We do need women in politics, yes we admit that some have not lived to our expectation. We haven't seen the united front that some of us were hoping for. We haven't seen the deliberate and determine push for the gender agenda but it is better we have our women in there. Gradually we will get it, gradually we will get educated. Gradually, we will form the formidable union that we need to push the gender agenda" - Oheneyere Gifty Anti.

Genesis 2:20 states "And Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the fowls of the air, and to the beast of the field but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him".

The above quotation implies that God created woman as man's helpmate. Help means to assist and to assist means to partner someone to get a task accomplished.

The development gap between the Western World and the Third world countries particularly Africa is due to the fact that in the 19th and 20th centuries, while women in the Western world had the opportunity to participate in national and community politics as well as occupying positions in their societies and working in factories hence earning appreciable salaries to support their families, women in Africa were denied of those opportunities and the only working environment reserved for women in Africa was the Kitchen.

Even on the field of education, Africans never saw the need to send their female child to school. Until Dr. Kwagyiri Agyrey made his famous statement "if you educate a man you educate an individual but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation" then many African fathers - the smart ones sent their daughters to school.

At the community level and in chieftaincy, it was not until 1901 when the Queen mother of Ejisu - Yaa Asantewaa proved to the Ashanti Kingdom, the Gold Coasters and the Europeans that there is a natural zeal in some women and that if they are given the opportunity, they will do what most men can't do.

Even with the zealous move by the queen mother of Ejisu and other women in the early 20th century, "No" woman was called to the legislative nor the executive council until 1961 that the late Hon. Susana Alhassan became the first female to be appointed a minister. She was the first African woman to hold a cabinet portfolio and the member of parliament for the then Northern Region parliamentary constituency between 1960 and 1966.

The struggle to liberate African women from cultural and psychological slavery hasn't been an easy battle. Although, few successes have been achieved - Africa is having a female President in the person of H. E. Ellen Salif Johnson - the President of Liberia and other women occupying ministerial, Parliamentary as well as high political positions.

In Ghana for instance, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the late Hon. Hawa Yakubu are among the few women who have proved the capabilities of women in the national polity.

Do not kill your dream. Resurrect your potential Tune in to The StandPoint.

Watch and listen to Oheneyere Gifty Anti - a seasoned broadcaster, veteran journalist and a passionate gender advocate and activist, as she brings to you the voice of the voiceless women in our societies. Young ladies, women and gentlemen, spend time with Oheneyere Gifty Anti on The StandPoint and you will be encouraged to influence your society.