MALE CHAUVINISM AND CHALLENGES OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN WOMAN, Vol.3

Image source: https://africanmirrors.blogspot.com/2017/08/chauvinismfeministstop-violence-attack.html

African women and chauvinism on a crossroad, A Dire consequence: The current situation of chauvinism has inevitably encountered a cross road and the contemporary emphasis on feminism and equality. As more African women gain education and exposure owning to globalization, the edifice on which chauvinism is built has been grossly shaken.

African women are gradually confronting the domination men with the weapon presented by western feminism, often appropriated from books, media and sometimes learnt from the internet. While some men have thrown in the towel accepting it as one of the swift changes that have come to stay, some have made up their minds to protect male chauvinism as part of African traditional heritage by hook or by cook.

Both educated and illiterate male and female African are involved in either camp. This struggle has truly produced a something that has troubling consequences.

Image source: https://africanmirrors.blogspot.com/2017/08/chauvinismfeministstop-violence-attack.html

'In a twinkle of an eye women are rising from chains of male repression and oppression like the pelican. Even illiterate women supported by some NGOs that promote women right have learnt how to belt teach their men bitter lessons. Families are gradually disintegrating while divorce among married people in African is gradually increasing.

There is increasing rate of adultery and promiscuity among both educated and uneducated African women as part of the expression of their new found freedom gained from men.

Gender role has also come under attack and women are massively leaving home to cities to contest for jobs, that do not exist.
This status quo has shown that crisis of the cross road between chauvinism and the reaction of African feminism cannot give a realistic and sustainable solution to this situation.

As chauvinism crumbles, African needs to reassert the position of women using some of the few traditional institutions that gives priority to the right of women.
In lgbo culture for instance, the umuada, group of married women. Is a force to be reckoned with. They can veto the decision of men in critical situations and can deal severely with men who abuse women.
In some cases, problems that elude men have been successfully resolved by the umuada. In Igbo culture, it is said that women hardly begin a fight and when they do, they never loose .

the use of women as pressure groups have been successfully in many African countries, no one dare lay a hand on protesting women and this is what the British colonialists failed to understand when when they shot down protesting women during the Aba riot of 1929.

Image source: https://africanmirrors.blogspot.com/2017/08/chauvinismfeministstop-violence-attack.html

This incident which stands out out as symbol of early traditional feminists movement in African can serve as a potent in replacing the ultra western feminist model which is inadequate to address the problem of chauvinism in Africa. While championing the right of women, Africa still needs the mutual union of husband and wife and gender role that also the respect equality.

There is also the important of the family; while incorporating both male and female values in equal synergy. This will bridge the inadequacies created by the adoption of western feminist movement which has seen to be clash in gender role, a situation that has precariously affected the family.

Evaluation and conclusion: feminine qualities like empathy, mercy, understanding, etc if not married with male predicates like authority, decisiveness, discipline, strength, courage and perseverance, make the state sluggish and too romantic so that values that gives it a cultural nous is fizzled out to the other hand, feminine predicates like empathy, mercy, understanding, care, love and dialogue could well be the solution to the political strife and incessant wars plaguing the continent.
Rwanda as earlier point out is a testimony that women can give a new face to African situation.

REFERRENCES:
Vol.1: https://steemit.com/nigeria/@joseph-eu/male-chauvinism-and-challenges-of-contemporary-african-women-volume-1

Vol.2: https://steemit.com/women/@joseph-eu/male-chauvinism-and-challenges-of-contemporary-african-woman-vol-2-201789t85444247z

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