For the sake of our women
Yesterday was the International Day of Women, a day celebrated by all those who are women as well as groups and institutions working for the betterment of women in the world as well as their betterment. (Photo: First Lady of Sierra Leone, Sia Koroma)
Interestingly, or rather unfortunately, women in Sierra Leone have shown a total disregard for what is expected to be their own day and in their own area of responsibility. The reason being that the women of Sierra Leone, headed by the First Lady of the country have clearly shown a total disregard for the observation of this very important day and have instead preferred to sit back and wait for the men to carry out the work.
Yesterday, women the world over were active in organizing seminars and in carrying out public appearances, talks and marching to extol the virtues and rights of the female citizen as well as the girl child in their various countries. In Sierra Leone, while their counterparts were busy celebrating such an important day, they instead opted to make it a day for the sale of food, placing themselves in the usual picture of a woman’s place being in the kitchen; – the very position which their gender comrades had expressly refused to believe as the Gospel truth.
What has the Fifty-Fifty Women’s Group done to sensitize their members and potential members about their role in society as partners in development? – A resounding silence. One would even say that by their absence, there is a clear indication that those currently claiming to serve the women of Sierra Leone are little less than opportunists whose interest is not based on the empowerment of women but in their disempowerment.
Sierra Leone is a nation blessed with the facts that we are all one, notwithstanding ethnic or tribal interests.
From the South to the West from the East to the North of Sierra Leone, the fact remains that there is a lot that needs to be stated and reported about the concerns of women.
It is also interesting to note that there is a need for women to play a more prominent role in the matter that involves women in the matter of politics in the country.
Women play a significant role in the continent of Africa and within the African culture, and for this reason, it is important to note that there is a vast importance they play when it comes to the issue of gender.
It is rather unfortunate that there is a cynical attitude to the perception of African women from the point of view of the Western World, a perception that continues to manifest a total disregard for African culture and the position occupied by women within the African context.
What is never acknowledged is that in Africa we maintain a healthy respect for the womenfolk and this is an issue that needs to be defined both by government as well as organizations and institutions operating within the framework of women’s empowerment.
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