When asked what gender equality meant to her, Maryam Sule, a twenty year old college student in Nigeria, said, ‘being able to do the same things that men do’.

Charity Madu, a middle aged banker, responded to the same question differently, ‘to me, gender equality is defeating men at everything’. These answers aptly portray the gender equality scenario in many African countries.

Traditional African culture had clearly stipulated the different roles of men and women in the society. Boys and girls grew up knowing what society required of them. As boys herded their livestock, girls would fetch firewood and water. As the boys hunted, older girls would perfect their cooking prowess. Then marriage would come along and young men would grow into husbands that fit the society’s description of a husband. The same applied to young women. Thus would their lives be lived; in this age-old pattern more according to the norms of the society and less according to individual aspirations.

By today’s standards, traditional African culture was not fair to women. It dictated that a woman’s place was in the kitchen. But it also dictated that a man’s place was in the hunting and fighting fields. Both sexes were playing their different roles towards successful homes and societies. True — their roles were different. False — some roles were inferior to others. Even the all-important job of rearing children was not left to mothers or fathers alone.

In the African traditional context, children belonged to the whole society. Elder age groups were expected to admonish their younger counterparts. All adults had a right and mandate to discipline all children. The burden of taking care of children was on the shoulders of the society and not a given gender. Responsibilities were equitably distributed in African traditional societies notes Joe Onukwe, a Nigerian historian.

Women were victims of injustice in traditional African culture not because of what the society did to them but because of what the society did not do to them. Boys grew up knowing that they had to be strong, hardworking and wise so that they could take good care of their wives, children and society. Girls grew up knowing that they had to be hardworking and submissive so that they could find good husbands who would take good care of them. In other words, it wasn’t up to them to make their lives successful. It was up to their future husbands. This notion robbed them of the initiative and creativity to make a choice which would make a difference.

Gender inequality was not rampant in the African traditional society. It was, in fact, less than today asserts Travor Waddimba, a Ugandan octogenarian. Currently, both in Africa and elsewhere in the world, gender inequality seems to be blossoming. Injustices against women seem to be on the increase. In South Africa, rape occurs every thirty-six seconds. In the United States, a woman is physically abused every nine seconds. In India, five thousand women are murdered annually through dowry murder rituals. Sadly, these tragic events are but the tip of the iceberg.

Destructive customs like female genital mutilation continue to be practised by many communities, and a few weeks ago British medical authorities warned doctors to be on the watch for it among recent immigrants.Nowadays, it is not uncommon for teenage girls to be married off by force and widows to be inherited along with other ‘possessions’. Wife beating is very much a part of our modern life too. This onslaught of violence seems to be unstoppable. Yet this despicable violence is just one of the many injustices against women.

The United Nations estimates that between sixty-six to eighty per cent of Africa’s farm work is shouldered by women. Many girls in these regions have to drop out of school because preference is given to boys. The raison d’etre of this is that the meagre resources available should cater for the boys, since they are the ones who will always be with their parents.

Women in today’s world, especially in the third world, are given a very raw deal. It is no wonder that gender equality has become such a major international issue. However, it becomes disturbing to note that gender inequality still persists despite all this international attention.

In the African context, gender inequality is worse than it used to be decades ago. Evidently, westernization may have brought many benefits but gender equality was not one of them.While men in many African countries are on the forefront of political and corporate leadership, women are on the forefront of community development and home leadership. Women’s groups are scattered all over in their thousands. These groups have proved, time and again, that unity is indeed strength. They have been a channel of economic empowerment, which has in turn given women much needed self-esteem. On the home front, many men have not been able to provide capable leadership mainly due to career demands and downright laziness or indifference. This has left the woman as the de facto decision maker in the home.

However, the woman’s economic handicaps greatly restrict this decision-making leaving the economically empowered man as the decision maker: a decision maker who does not have the time or inclination to make wise decisions.

Imposed development is cosmetic development. The test of time has proved that when development is imposed upon women, it does not last. The solution to gender inequality lies not in this kind of imposing. It lies not in boardrooms and classrooms. Neither does it lie in finger pointing and name-calling. All these are recipes not of gender equality but for gender confusion.

Rather, the solution to gender inequality in Africa lies with the African woman herself. As she discards imitation for originality, dependence for independence and ignorance for knowledge, she will begin to realize her full potential. Then will gender equality be greatly fostered, not superficially, but genuinely.

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