Women Empowerment and Struggles in African Countries

Women Empowerment and Struggles in African Countries

The majority of African societies have been developed on a patriarchal approach where women do not have a significant influence on societal issues. However, women have remained at the forefront of major achievements, such as peacekeeping. Empowerment of women within African countries has been gradual despite the existing evidence that women are just as efficient as men. Empowerment of women has an integral influence on the nutrition, health, and socioeconomic status of individuals within the community. In African societies, women are tasked with raising children. However, this can only be attained when their favorable environment defined by peace (Angus, 2019). Women themselves have played a principal mandate in advancing the wellbeing of women through outlining their capabilities as well as struggles. Wangari Maathai is one of the renowned African women who have left indelible marks on women affairs in African through leading as an example that women are also capable of pursuing change and promoting their own agenda. Understanding women’s empowerment and struggles present emphasis on critical measures that support the needs of women as well as their influence in peacekeeping.

African feminism

Women on the African continent have sought to address major challenges that are facing women in Africa as well as focusing on women empowerment.  African women have sought to counter male chauvinism in societies through the integration of different factors that promote change and adoption of positive values that can help in shaping women’s leadership. Nigerian renowned author Ngozi Chimamanda has been one of the key female figures in Africa who have been developing a global discourse on the role of women in the current society, primarily through her books and speeches on women’s leadership globally (Akpome, 2017).

Nawal El Saadawi is one of the prominent Arabic authors who has really made a name for herself through authoring some of the best novels coupled with the strong message she develops by advancing different themes. Her writing is very different and unique as she focuses on the real issues in society, especially in the Arab world. In her writings, she exposes the society and various ways in which women are suppressed. She focuses on the subservient role that women are expected to play in a male-dominated society. She highlighted different kinds of violations that women are being exposed such as sexual assault, mutilations, and oppressive laws that clearly suppress the rights of women (Shaw, 2018). Therefore, this paper will focus on the role of women in society, as highlighted in one of her successful works, the memoirs of a woman doctor.

Women who have stood up for their rights as well as advancing social protection and development of peace have been shunned and imprisonment by male-dominated regimes in Africa. Wangari Mathai was a vocal leader who made major efforts in environmental protection, political activists, and social protection of women’s rights. She was a strong-willed woman who sought to promote environmental rights while also ensuring that the rights of women within the Kenyan society, as well as the whole of Africa, were protected (Akpome, 2017). Commitment to environmental protection and focus on social protection for women to a series of legal battles with the government.

Women empowerment

Women in Africa have made significant strides in the political and social arena. These changes have been based on the societal transformation and the evocation of patriarchal principles that defined most of the African societies. The African Union has been integral in leading the line in women empowerment through adopting gender parity in its top decision making position to create a balance in decisions that influence the people of Africa. These changes have been integral in building a strong context for change and promotion of better choices that impact better policies. Despite the implementation of policies that promote the needs of African women, women still face significant challenges due to the inability to control masculinity (Arriola & Johnson, 2014).

Men have predominantly occupied leadership positions. However, in the recent past, women have increasingly taken up leadership positions and excelled. The success of women in leadership has opened platforms for women who are aspiring to become leaders. Increased support and empowerment to women have been integral in helping create a diverse operational context within an organizational context (Busia, 2018).  Leadership is mainly complex and is associated with a high level of commitment, stress, and critical decision making. Women were previously viewed as being weak and unable to deal with stressful situations or handle the pressure. The recent success has shown that women are capable of coping with overcoming adversities in leadership to create a more efficient platform.

Championing women in leadership present a greater focus on essential concepts that define the level of development. Over the years, women have been considered as being inferior and unable to lead. As a result, public policies have been developed, focusing on women empowerment and improving the wellbeing of women. Thus, a reliable assessment of the needs of women within the corporate world will help understand the current situation and different factors that can be considered in increasing the number of women in leadership positions. Leadership is informed, but different managerial theories that need to be conclusively identified to help improve the outcomes (Njoh & Akiwumi, 2012).

Women role in peacekeeping

The majority of African countries have been engaged mainly in conflicts that have been detrimental to the development of positive measures focusing on social development and women empowerment. However, despite the disorganization in these countries, women still a role in making a significant contribution to peace development. Women are significant agents in creating stability in the lives of their communities, as well as the society at large. Women have spearheaded reconciliation and peace efforts even under difficult situations among African countries. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia and the first African woman president, made significant efforts in restoring peace in the country after a long period of instability under  Charles Taylor (Garnett & Oygard, 2018).

Under President Sirleaf, Liberia enjoyed one of the most peaceful periods in the country’s long history. The vulnerability of the country, especially the high risk of conflict emergence, meant there was a need to focus on uniting the country and help develop essential elements that define democracy. Women have played a significant role in ensuring that the fragile unity that was developed is sustained through a more diverse approach that seeks to incorporate the input of everyone within the society (Garnett & Oygard, 2018). The realization of the importance of women was a significant step taken to ensure that the transition period is successful for a country that has been in turmoil for more than ten years.

Peaceful transition and maintenance of peaceful coexistence within African society has been a critical factor in promoting positive change. The long period of unrest has been associated with an agitated environment as a result of the frequent ethnic fighting across different countries. The significant issues that were being addressed included inequality in resource allocation, discrimination as a result of the caste system that has been utilized in the country where the minority control all the resources. The long conflict has paved the way for transformation with a significant emphasis on a more centralized system and unitary state that emphasizes the need to embrace a modern, inclusive approach for everyone (Upadhyay & Karasek, 2012).

Women play an integral role in any change process, especially in implementation, crisis management, post-conflict reintegration, and rehabilitation. Women in Africa have been bold enough to stand for what is right and help create a specific approach in improving the level of engagement among individuals. The media has shown a strong performance among women in Africa committed to ensuring a successful rehabilitation and reconstruction of the African countries (Shaw, 2018). The experiences of women and their roles in other war-torn countries have shown how strong women are and help in instigating the change process. Even though there are fewer women in leadership, their influence, especially during the time of crisis, has created a different understanding of the personality of women and what they can achieve in helping in the recovery process.

Women and peacebuilding in Africa

The transformation of African states through outlining the rights of women has presented a significant step in women empowerment as well as the development of essential processes that help create a reliable platform for women. Women activists such as Wangari Mathai and Leymah Gbowee have been integral to the current changes that have been sweeping across Africa due to the strong influence of women in social and economic development. The election of Ellen Sirleaf Johnson to the highest office in the country brought significant commitment and empowerment to millions of African women who had been demoralized by male-dominated societies (Kirby & Shepherd, 2016).

The substantial role of women in Africa has been integral in the reconciliation process and understanding of equality within the society for everyone. The reconciliation involves putting in place better strategies that help maintain a strong emphasis on essential concepts that help identify a better process that help focus on positive change within the communities. Reconciliation thus involves searching for justice, healing forgiveness, and promoting peaceful coexistence. Women peace campaigns have been organized throughout the continent, focusing on ensuring that the needs of women and children are addressed in the development of better leadership structure within the communities (Shaw, 2018).

Thus facilitating conflict resolution measures has been an essential focus that improves the underlying measures that were being assessed in enhancing the overall commitment to improving the wellbeing of members in the society (Njoh & Akiwumi, 2012).  Reintegration is a complicated process, especially after a long time of conflict, people are still hurt by the actions of their neighbors hence are less willing to forgive and move forward. The role of women is integral to the success of the transition process.

Championing for peacebuilding in war-torn regions in Africa presents the need for cohesion and overall adoption of better strategies that promote positive social changes and improved commitment to the rights of women. It is essential to note that the involvement of women in enhancing the peacebuilding process was mainly at the grassroots level, with no woman nominated for any of the peace talk teams or facilitates (Hidayati et al., 2017).

However, the will to create change was enough to mobilize women and get involved in improving the engagement of their respective communities, which is an essential aspect of building a healthy and prosperous pace process.  Any of the significant roles did not trust women (Upadhyay & Karasek, 2012). However, through the help of the media, women have been empowered to help develop better methods, which helped in creating a more diverse emphasis on better processes that define a secure change process.  Maintaining a strong focus on the needs of women within the society provided a greater understanding of specific concepts that help improve the overall commitment to managing better change processes.

The role of women in cultivating a culture of peace

Women have significant roles and opportunities across Africa, which present a need to understand critical changes that promote positive development. Maintaining an influential culture of peace and development help identify comprehensive measures that support the needs of everyone within the community. This is essential in helping create a more diverse understanding of specific policies and processes that are implemented in improving the overall assessment of better elements that define a secure change process (Shaw, 2018). Women were associated with participation in implementing better procedures that seek to create a more focused on socio-economic reforms. Empowerment activities were also linked to the role of women, which helped define a strong emphasis on better measures that describe the change process.

In cultivating peace in African states, women are integral in policy development, considering their level of knowledge on societal development and promotion of better processes that help empower women and children. The increasing focus on the role of women within the society provided a more significant commitment within the organization, which helped build a united front that included the need of all stakeholders (Hidayati et al., 2017). The political and socio-economic transformation has been a considerable emphasis on the needs of individuals within the society. Creating a favorable environment where the change process can be improved helps define a secure change process that maintains an improved emphasis on changing key elements that define societal changes. Maintaining peace requires a vital focus on better concepts, which helped in establishing a strong focus on adopting positive traits that would help individuals change their hatred behavior among the majority of Africans.

Supporting the social, national relationship which creates a more straightforward, which helps implement strong consideration of better measures which crucial in helping manage better outcomes. The media ensured that these concepts are addressed based on a strong emphasis on improved outcomes, which deny the level of participation among individuals to help control. Appreciating essential elements that define positive change within the society has been crucial in assisting implement critical processes that focused on identifying better change processes (Kirby & Shepherd, 2016). Therefore how the role of women in the media played a significant role in shaping the involvement of women as well as their stellar performance in helping create a close-knit society with a specific focus on better approach in solving challenges within the society.

Conclusion

The stereotypes against women in African societies have been rife, especially in limiting their abilities and capacity to perform tasks that have been majorly associated with men. Women empowerment, however, has had a strong influence on creating a platform for women through education and the media, which has emphasized the need to develop a fully developed society with the rights of every individual, including women and children clearly identified. Women such as Gbowee, Mathai, and President Sirleaf have used their positions and passion for women empowerment to promote critical changes within the African continent, highlighting the role women can play in the development of peace as illustrated by brave African women who brought change through utilizing their positions in creating policy changes.

The African  Union, as a critical leadership organization in Africa, has also remained steadfast in promoting women’s rights and embracing the decisions made by women, which had been a significant deviation from the African traditions where women were supposed to be seen and not heard.  Women in policymaking have contributed to increased peace across the region in the recent past.  However, challenges regarding the role of women in society still exist, considering the masculine ideology always exists in the majority of African communities.

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