ALICE
UKOKO Founder and CEO of Women Of Africa Speaks: SOAS 8.6.13
Firstly, I wish to draw
attention to the state of emergency imposed on three Northern States of Nigeria;
where women and children are experiencing a secret war that is claiming civilian
lives, destroying their meagre properties and creating a refugee crisis, as the
world looks on. We are informed that this is a war on Boko Haram a terror group
we are told are faceless.
Would this war against
women and children in secluded areas of Northern Nigeria, deliver sustainable peace
at the face of unquenchable hunger, impunity and massive corruption in high
places? We must wait and see!!
When the world continues
to witness armed conflicts, man-made famine, tragedies, forced migration and
monumental abomination against our humanity then, we should know that it is
time for women to stand in the gap.
Women are important
stakeholders in Africa and in the world and not just “gender” implied as
creatures that came down from Mars. Women are human beings with equal rights
and responsibility for the survival and development of Africa and our global
world.
From time immemorial in
African societies, women define the culture and tradition of the Continent. The
men as the head of their families and communities had the responsibility of welcoming
visitors while the women take care of the hospitalities. Before the arrival of foreign visitors, no
decision was concluded without the consent of the womenfolk.
However tragically, during
the visit of the slave and commercial traders, mama did not eardrop to know
what the mission of the visitors to Africa was. This was when the early slave
and commercial traders arrived to secure their various interests in Africa. As
was expected by mama, the visitors never left and papa did not feedback on the
mission of the visitors.
Thus, the outcome and nightmare
of the slave and commercial trading in Africa continue to haunt this Continent
so rich and yet so impoverished because the women were excluded from talks and
the decision making process.
I wish to state categorically
that legalised slave trading displaced Africans to such an extent that we now
have African Caribbean; African Americans etc spread across the world. They are
the descendants of the victims of this inhumane trade and represent Africa
Diaspora firstly. For them to return to their roots and the land of their
ancestors, women must stand in the gap to make the corrective and positive changes
necessary.
Whilst I do not
advocate for reparation for the wrong doing aided by papa in the slave and commercial
trading in Africa, I stand firmly on the need for the world to empower African
women to stand in the gap to redefine gender roles now, rather than later.
I am concerned that
whereas African women are the back bone and hence the continuing survival of
their families, communities and Continent, they are portrayed as the victims;
the uneducated; the perpetrators of harmful practices; and the specie over
populating Africa and the rest of the world.
Humanity is not homogenous
so that a global project aimed at creating a homogenous world is certainly failing
Mother Earth. Mother Africa wants to be Free to enjoy and develop at her own
pace and to partnership with the rest of the world as equals. We are all born
equal under GOD irrespective of our gender, Continent and circumstances of our
birth.
It is time for the
world to understand and to empower women in order to reform Africa genuinely;
instead of arming and aiding governments to sustain the global project as
unequal partners.
It is to effectively
stand in the gap and enrich Africa’s gender roles that Women Of Africa is
leading efforts to end poverty, conflicts and sexual abuse in Africa and across
the world.
Restoring the status of
African women through international recognition is Key to addressing the
misconceptions of the past. African women are the missing partners at the
tables of world policy decision making, not only in political offices, but as
civil society voices and effective participants in global socio-economic
processes. African grassroots women have been fish and crop farmers and traders
since time immemorial and never basket weavers.
Concluding, I wish to
draw our attention to the continuing civil war in Syria where women and
children are losing their lives every second for two years now. Women are
experiencing sexual violence and gang rape all over the world that, it is
irrelevant to identify what part of the world is experiencing the worse
incidence of rape both within the home and outside.
By African tradition,
the woman represents Mother Africa and no son of Africa is expected to rape his
mother as such, urgent action is needed to end violence against women so that
peace can return to Africa and our world. Remember! Sexual abuse of African
women is a TABOO and it should be stopped with military speed. It is time to
reform Africa by empowering and following the lead of African women standing in
the GAP.
For information about
Alice Ukoko, visit our websites: www.womenofafrika.org
www.aliceukoko.org and
www.aliceukoko.com
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