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The Hidden Potency in Muffled Voices
By Linda A. Annan
There is nothing more beautiful than the view of an African woman carrying a baby on her back, cloth strapped tightly around her chest to provide support; one hand clasping that of another child, the other griping a bucket-full of water to be used by the rest of the family. The bright scorching African sun burns the nape of her neck; her overused flip- flops clap against her heels. Tired and all, she still comes through: she nurtures and gives of herself, both emotionally and physically out of love, without complaint. But why then, one might ask, is she usually embraced with violence from the very men to whom she gives of herself when she decides to step into intellectual territory?
Recent reports have condemned Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, for his government's inhumane acts toward citizens; women of course have received the worst of such treatments. Female activists opposed to his regime have been battered and violated for such a stance. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, threatened in a September 20th BBC report to pull out of the December EU-Africa summit if President Mugabe attends.
So where does this leave African women?
Long known to be creatures of compliance, the least degree of aggression from us evokes waves of insecurity from some of our men. Perhaps it is a reason why some of our so-called wise leaders, in fear of losing their idiotic views of masculinity use such powers to belittle women.
Interestingly enough such efforts appear to be counterproductive as these women continue to fight. The awful stories of the five Ugandan women, Jennifer Achora, 22, Milly Auma, 29, Nighty Acheng, 28, Sarah Ayero, 28, and Maurine Akello, 18, kidnapped by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) to be child soldiers and wives of insurgents at very tender ages, are an indication of this.
On November 2, 2007 their stories were heard at the UN and their gruesome experiences, though life-scarring, have been upended into a positive by reaching out to women who have undergone similar treatments through a self-established NGO called Empowering Hands, according to a UN report.
“Other organizations have tried, but failed to do this. One needs the right experience – to know the feelings of the people who have been through such things to speak to them,” says Achora of reaching out to other young women who have been in her position, as quoted in the UN report.
Perhaps much can be learned from fearless world female leaders like Indira Gandhi and the heroism of the Trung Sisters.
Though violence is what everyone hopes to stay clear of it becomes inevitable in these circumstances opening up the question as to what approach could suppressed African women use to unseal their fate?
The need, not want, of a woman's intellectual presence in society has always been inescapable. A successful society often exhibits a joint force between both genders, one that attempts to be accepting of the other's capabilities – though unequal treatment will still exist – and build it up.
What can we say then regarding women's contributions to society, from mercantilism when peasant women sold milk, chickens and other products to earn money for their families till now? And then there were the governesses, nurses and waitresses in the 1800s. Yes, these positions may not have been political but they did contribute to the growth of the economy; did it ever occur to the world that such positions only unearthed a woman's natural leadership capabilities?
What do basic concepts of great leadership tell us?
“The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your organization,” states Bernard Bass in From Transactional to Transformational Leadership: Learning to Share the Vision, Organizational Dynamics, and women have done well in displaying such qualities in various positions. Consider governesses and nurses in the 19 th century, for instance, who effortlessly instructed and cared for others; certainly family demands and household duties equipped them for such positions.
But after all these years a woman's intellectual and leadership ability still remains in question. And her worth is usually compressed into nothing by insecure men – men who lack a true understanding and appreciation of themselves.
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