A
group argues for feminism and claims that the fight is against patriarchy, not
men
In contrast to popular
perceptions of feminism in Africa, a Pan-African group of 17 feminists called
Nala Feminist Collective (Nalafem) said on Friday that feminism is not an
ideology aimed at upholding the rights of male counterparts but rather a
movement aimed at promoting those of women everywhere.
The group asserted that
women's inclusion in governance is essential to Africa's development and urged
African nations to adopt the principles of feminism and women's rights
education.
The first African Union
ambassador on youth and the founder of Nalafem, Aya Chebbi, made this statement
during a press conference marking the publication of the book "I Am
Nala," which collects seven personal narratives from Nala council members.
These members include
Rosebell Kagumire, Rose Wachuka Macharia, a feminist author who defends human
rights, and Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, executive director of the Stand to End Rape
Initiative, and Rosebell Kagumire, chief of staff to the Hon. Chief Justice of
the Republic of Kenya and president of the Supreme Court of Kenya.
Oluwaseun Osowobi, STER's
executive director, said in a sideline interview with journalists that feminism
aims to "tear down all of the assumptions that we have about who a woman
should be and is not what it should be.
We're dismantling all of
those oppressive systems, like the one that mandates that girls get married
before the age of 11 or 12 in order to protect their virginity or that they
shouldn't have access to education because boys are smarter than females, she
continued.
The inclusion of feminism
in the school curriculum is a positive step, Oluwaseun said, but Nigeria and
other African nations should put more of focus on the movement by educating
women and young girls about their rights.
She asserted that social
media initiatives and grassroots community outreach will be very effective in
educating people about the importance of accepting gender equality.
In the meantime, Rosebell
Kagumire, a leading journalist from Uganda and pan-African feminist, thinks the
fight for women's rights and involvement in governance shouldn't be subtle.
She continued by saying
that women must speak up against injustice, marginalisation, and degradation in
general and abuse in particular.
The Minister of Women
Affairs and Social Development, Dame Tallen, asserted that the Federal
Government (FG) must step up efforts to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV)
in the nation in addition to advocating for women's equality.
She emphasised that
President Muhammadu Buhari's and the ministry's policies have been put in place
to address GBV issues and ensure that the female child is treated fairly in the
nation.
"The ministry is
currently addressing policy gaps, bolstering institutional capacity,
encouraging gender equitable attitudes, delivering top-notch assistance to
survivors, and ensuring social justice for victims of abuse and their
families," she said.
"This has led to
increased awareness of Nigeria's pledges to gender equality and an ongoing
problem with gender-based violence in the nation. created a supportive policy
and resource environment for the abolition of gender-based violence against
women and girls in all of its forms, and adapted and scaled up evidence-driven
prevention programming for the abolition of gender-based violence, as well as
scaling up comprehensive assessable and high-quality services for survivors.
The operation of an intermenstrual
gender-based violence valuable community provide super nice and all forms of
violence against women and children in the country, as well as directives to
the Inspector General police to deal with all public traitors in furtherance of
the Declaration of zero tolerance to rape and gender-based violence, are some
of the specific milestones.
For her part, activist
Aisha Yesufu said that girls should be shielded from all social vices and
encouraged to persevere despite prevailing stereotypes.
However, she emphasised
that equity and equality are all those girls really require.
"When I play for
equality, I don't want to compromise who I am as a woman; it would be unjust to
me. When I call for equality, I'm also requesting fairness in treatment. Do you
want to see me as a human being with our five senses and a brain when I want
equality? I am not an object to be played with. I'm not saying I want to beat
up a male when I want equality. I'm just saying that I shouldn't be a victim of
beatings that go unpunished," she stated.
Seven stories from Nala
council members make up the collection "I Am Nala." Each chapter
promotes one or more African Young Women's Beijing + 25 Manifesto demands as
well as one or more Sustainable Development Goals.