I was born a feminist! Having grown up in an all-girls household and then later in a catholic boarding school for my secondary school, my formative years were generally christened with girl power and lyrics to boot! I do recognize how privileged I am to have been born a feminist now. When I did stumble upon this mammoth of a word in my early 20s, I was happy to owe the badge which I still adorn with pride.
This is largely because I was socialized from an early age to know that we are all equal regardless of those little boxes human beings like to confine and describe others as. If you ask people today whether they consider themselves feminist or not, you will likely get a variation of reactions. If you probe further, you may realize that they could be more feminist that they are willing to admit more often than not! In other instances, they are in a bit of a denial. We would rather not take on the title for lack of deeper analysis of the worldview. However the fear of backlash for going against the very core of patriarchy is very real.
In our African setting, publicly labelling yourself as a feminist may lead to rebuke and ostracization at the very minimum from both genders. Even in the West, women are cautious about when to openly identify as a feminist. In the Women20 Summit in Berlin last year, when some of the world’s most influential women leaders were asked point blank if they considered themselves feminists, it was sadly not a surprise that not all hands went up. In relation to the contributions women make to the feminist movement. The women who didn’t raise their hands are in most feminist eyes obvious feminist.
A few weeks ago, Akili Dada was honoured by the presence or Dr. Hilda Tadria, the founder of Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for young Women (MEMPROW)at our offices. A practical feminist and force to reckon with in the gender and social development space on the continent and beyond, she graced us with an informal brown bag meeting one afternoon and shared her lessons and insights on her feminist journey. Dr. Tadria reiterated that in this day and age, we must be feminist and be bold about it.
This is because societies continue to be patriarchal. We have a ripe opportunity to change the oppressive and unequal dynamic between men and women. She further expounded on the need to question the privilege that men have by virtue of their gender and how we ought to disrupt this for a more equal world. She also articulated that living a feminist life is not a something we should throw around like a fashion trend; it is a way of being. Our feminist living should influence how we lead and relate with others.
Dr. Tadria taught us that regardless of whether we are ready to take on the big F word or not, women all over the world over and especially in our very own communities are making strides in the quests for gender equality and parity. Young African women today must acknowledge that a lot of these gains are as a direct result of previous generations carrying the feminist mantle. We now have the onus to fan this flame because a few battles may have been worn in this quest, but the war is still far from over.
First Published by Akili Dada
