The African women in the twentieth century

Résumé du document

Traditionally and historically, women are considered as invisible: wars are fought by men; money is earned by men; nations are led by men etc. The only roles held by women are reproduction and housekeeping. However, since the middle of the 1970s, gender issues have become an important theme. Globalization not only affects men but also women, although in a different way. Gender, which is often used as a code word for women, not only refers to women or men but to the socially defined roles of each sex. So gender and sex must be differentiated, sex is connected with biology whereas gender is seen as a social construction. It is important to emphasize that gender roles vary from region to region, women and men will play different roles in accordance with their tradition, their history and their culture. Furthermore, cultures evolve, which means that gender evolves too, the roles played by men and women are not only determined by culture but by socio-political and economic factors.

Extraits

[...] But nowadays, gender inequalities in Africa are still obvious: women have to carry double burden of unpaid work in the home, as well as paid work producing goods and services' (Wallace and March 1991, p.42), and according to a survey done in Senegal, Gambia, Uganda and Kenya, while they ‘contribute between 60 per cent and 80 per cent of the total agricultural work done' (Wallace and March 1991, p.5), the benefits go to their husbands. So even if they have been capable of finding new possibilities and opportunities, women in Africa are still considered as inferior to men, and in a sense they still have to carry this burden of gender inequalities. Bibliography Bujra, J. “Urging women to redouble their efforts . in Robertson, C. and Berger, I. [eds] Women and Class in Africa. (New York, Africana Publishing Company, 1986). Obbo, C. “Stratification and the lives of women in Uganda” in Robertson, C. [...]

[...] and Berger, I. [eds] Women and Class in Africa. (New York, Africana Publishing Company, 1986). Parpart, J. Household and the Mine Shaft: Gender and Class Struggles on the Zambian Copperbelt, 1926-64”, Journal of Southern African Studies, XIII pp.36-56. Wallace, T. and March, C. Changing Perceptions. Writings on Gender and Development. (Oxford, OXFAM, 1991). [...]

[...] It is important to emphasize that gender roles vary from region to region: women and men will play different roles in accordance with their tradition, their history and their culture: condition of women in Africa has of course always been culturally diverse' (Bujra 1986, p.118). Furthermore, cultures evolve, which means that gender evolves too: roles played by men and women are not only determined by culture but by socio-political and economic factors' (Wallace and March 1991, p.4). This essay will discuss the place and the role of the African women in the twentieth century. I will emphasis on two ideas that seem to conflict: on the one hand, I will show how women were especially oppressed by colonialism and its aftermath. [...]

[...] As European colonizers had settled in Africa, industrialization has been introduced and spread across the continent. Thus, new jobs have been created in urban areas, such as mine works. Furthermore, the colonial administrations established a tax system, so men have had to leave their rural household to migrate in urban areas and find jobs in order to pay the taxes. These movements of male immigrations have as major consequence that women have to bear the household burden by themselves; women have to ‘intensified their burden of work' and are ‘forced to work harder because of the absence of men' (Bujra 1986, p.124-125). [...]

[...] Furthermore, women are said to be more docile and dextrous than men, which explains why almost 70 per cent of the employed in market factories are females (Bujra 1986, p.122). Finally, the social and economic conditions of women in Africa largely depend on the social and economic situations of their husbands. The different case studies made by Christine Obbo in Uganda illustrate this tendency: Dr. Mukasa and Nurse Mary are two sisters, so they have quite the same background. However, they belong to two different classes: Dr. Mukasa is part of the upper-class and Nurse Mary of the middle-class. [...]