Scaling the Height of Patriarchy - Research Paper Example

Scaling the Height of Patriarchy ABSTRACT Women are considered the pillars of their families, home makers, and contributors in society, but some continue to be subjected to oppression and discrimination in any chauvinist culture. They can however prove to be resilient and independent people who can overcome these challenges and rise to success in a patriarchial society. Women of Africa and the African diaspora have been through many challenges that include biased cultural practices, gender discrimination, sexism, racism, economic dependency, among others. Their problems always seem to stem from the fact that they are women. This research aims at exploring the condition of Women of Africa and the Africa diaspora and address some of the challenges that these women face and how they managed to pull through. The research focuses on three women: Tambu from Zimbabwe in the Novel Nervous Conditions (1988), Faat Kine from Senegal in the film Kine (1999) and Marcia in the film Dancehall Queen (1997). The research traces their lives and challenges that they have gone through as women and how their determination enabled them to overcome these challenges in a male dominated society. I will use literary and historical texts, articles, journals, critical essays, books/book chapters, newspapers, interviews, films, and news reports to show that although women have been oppressed based on their gender, some of them did not relent. Through the exploration of the struggles and achievements of these women, my research will address the growing concern about the role of women in social, political and economic spheres and greatly contribute to the campaign of empowering women. OUTLINE I. Understanding the term ‘gender’ II. The condition of women of Africa and the African Diaspora III. Issues affecting women of Africa and Africa Diaspora. IV. Analysis of the characters in the novel Nervous Conditions a) Tambu’s quest for Education b) Nyasha’s rebellion to her Father c) Manini’s submission to patriarchy d) Maiguru’s entrapment V. Analysis of the character in the Film Faat Kine, Kine a) Culture and tradition of Senegalese people b) Kine’s predicament c) Kine’s rise to success VI. Analysis of the character in the Film Dancehall Queen, Marcia a) Women in Jamaica b) Marcia with the male chauvinism c) Marcia’s liberation VII. Conclusion. Understanding Gender Gender, according to Butler is “a social role that is performed” Butler describes gender as something you don’t have but as an identity constituted in time through a stylized repetition of acts (Butler 2004, 157). Children grow up with a notion that they are either boys or girls and internalize the social roles assigned to their respective gender through their performative acts. Michael Milles offers varied definitions of gender in the article “Distinction Between Sex and Gender.” According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, "Gender is cultural and is the term to use when referring to women and men as social groups while Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women.” Also Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women." (Milles Oct 20, 2011) Young People were being made to perform their roles according to their gender. From this perspective, women were considered insubordinate to men because of the role they performed. David Bwakali’s article on “Gender Inequality in Africa” points out that; Traditional African culture had clearly stipulated the different roles of men and women in the society. As boys herded their livestock, girls would fetch firewood and water... 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.” (Bwakali 2001, 270) The Condition of Women of Africa and the African Diaspora The pathway of a woman of color is riddled with many obstacles as captured by Elizabeth Stanton “The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpation on the part of man towards women, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.” (Stanton 1848, 68) In this excerpt Stanton laments how man has denied a woman her right to vote and voice her concerns in the formation of law by taking away from her all rights in property, even to the wages she earns. She accuses the man of monopolizing nearly all the profitable employments and denying her access to thorough education. The man has gone further to relegate her to a subordinate role in the church and endeavoring in every way to destroy her confidence in her powers to lessen her self-respect and make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life. Women of Africa and the African diaspora have had to maneuver around questions of class and problems of race. In many scenarios they have been handicapped on the account of their Gender. Deborah King in the article on “multiple jeopardy,” asks whether Black women’s primary commitments with regard to activism should be to fight against race, sex, or class” (king 1988, 43); to establish what ought to be addressed by the women of color in their multiple struggle. Key Gender Issues Affecting Women of Africa and The African Diaspora Gender discrimination is evident in education, economy and social relations. Women in Senegal; According to Wikipedia, women in Senegal face a number of disparities in their social status. They have high rates of illiteracy hence make up less than 10% of the formal labor force. Female genital mutilation is a persistent practice in some rural areas. Women’s legal rights are blunted by such practices as polygamy and Islamic law involving property ownership. Molly Melching in the book However Long the Night, (2013) narrates the ordeal of the Senegalese women’s attempts to evade child /forced marriage and declaration to abandon the centuries-old practice of female genital mutilation. “When the month passed and no preparation were made for the cutting ceremonies, the women of Malicound Bambara knew that perhaps they were truly on their way to doing what they had never once believed possible, abandoning the tradition for good.” David Bwakali’s’ article in Gender inequality in African claims that Gender equality scenario in developing nations is definitely not similar to that of developed nations. Women in the latter have economic empowerment, which gives them a powerful voice that demands an audience and positive actions. However, women in developing nations are generally silent. Their voice has been stifled by economic and cultural handicaps. (Bwakali 2011, 272) Gender is the Agenda by Otas Belinda shows the extent to which education for girls is unbalanced in Africa. In 2011, UNICEF estimated that 31 million girls of primary school age and 34 million girls of lower secondary school age were not enrolled in school, one in four women globally are still illiterate, with most of them living in sub -Sahara Africa. Its reported that in 47 out of 54 African countries, girls have less than a 50 per cent chance of completing primary school. (Otas 2015, 45) The question of Gender has continued to weigh heavily on women of Africa and the African diaspora. They however, have continued to fight against systems that propagate gender inequalities and oppression which thrives upon gender discrimination, class identity and racial prejudices. With determination some women have made a great impact in advancing their rights, and were successful in liberating themselves from patriarchal ideologies. In essence, they also gained admission into quarters previously reserved for male gender. From the experiences of these three women; Tambu, Kine and Marcia as a case study I believe that women can come out of oppression if they remain determined and rise to success in a patriarchial society. Analysis of Characters in the Novel Nervous Conditions, (1988) Tambu’s Quest for Education In Nervous Conditions, (1988) by Tsistsi Dengerembga, the author focuses in particular on a small group of women who struggle to be heard and to succeed in a world that often aggressively seeks to silence and control them. Tambu’s society did not value education for the girl child. This is evident in her father’s words “Can you cook books and serve your husband? Stay at home with your mother. Learn to cook and clean. Grow vegetables.” (Tsistsi 1988, 15) This is a clear indication of gender bias based on cultural expectations of male and female genders. For the sake of their future duties as wives, women are expected to forego certain things, including education as Mainini points out to Tambu “This business of womanhood is a heavy burden…When there are sacrifices to be made, you are the one who has to make them.” (Tsistsi 1988, 16) Mainini had resigned to this fate of being a woman but Tambu was not ready. Nhamo a representation of male chauvinism frankly points out that Tambu did not deserve education because she was a girl. “Wanting won’t help… It’s the same everywhere, because you are a girl.” (Tsistsi 1988, 21). This reveals how black girls’ education was undervalued. While boys were taken to school with the little available resources, girls had to be prepared for their future roles as wives. Men who received education and were able to provide for their families were hero worshipped, as women were relegated to subordinate positions from where they became economically dependent on men. Grimke registered her sentiments “I am constrained to say both from experience and observation, that their education is miserably deficient; that they are taught to regard marriage as one needful thing “(Grimke 1838, 65). Tambu’s desire goes beyond just getting married and thus puts up her struggle despite her father and Nhamo’s discouragement. At the convent school, Tambu encountered racial discrimination first hand. Girls at the convent school were segregated on the basis of skin color, the rooms were meant to accommodate four girls, yet six African girls were heaped in the same room. “All the first –formers live on this corridor’, she explained as she led the way. And all Africans live in here,’ she announced, triumphantly…” (Nervous Conditions,198). ‘Tambu’s predicaments is what Julia Cooper calls ‘double enslavement of black women’ of our being "confronted by both a woman question and a race problem.” (King, 42). Apart from being among the few girls who struggled to have education they were being segregated from the white girls on the basis of their skin color. Maiguru’s Entrapment Maiguru a well-educated woman, is forced to be reliant on her husband, Babamuguru. She is frustrated because while she has the potential to be an equal partner in the household, she is prevented from doing so by patriarchial forces. She has to content with the role of cooking and serving members of the extended family who converged in the rural homestead for Christmas celebration. She protested bitterly about her state for being nothing in a home she worked herself sick to support. Nyasha was disappointed that her mother had to seek refuge in her brother’s house. “A ‘man’ she always runs to men,’ she despaired. ‘There is no hope, Tambu.” (Tsistsi 1988, 177). Nyasha’s despair is in line with sojourner truth’s sentiments “Ain’t I a woman? “Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me best places! Ain’t I a woman?” (Truth 1851, 75) Maiguru represents educated women who are still economically dependent upon men and fear to seek an independent life even in the face of oppression. According to Nyasha, a woman should have the liberty to be productive. She thinks her Maiguru should be independent and look after herself by going to school, working and starting her own business. Nyasha’s Rebellion to her father. Nyasha’s open resistance to patriarchy leads to self-destruction as she tries to find balance between modernity and traditional society. Nyasha is unconventional and desires to be independent, to do what she wants but patriarchal forces prevent her. Babamuguru becomes worked up with Nyasha’s conduct and doesn’t consider her good enough to be a wife to someone because she is not submissive. He is so aligned against the sex that she represents; he treats her with suspicion and mistrusted. While he so cared about Nyasha to be alone with boys because he believed she will engage into sexual misconduct, he never worried about her brother. Nyasha’s constant spirit of resistance to her father results from her time in England which showed her a different life. She has trouble assimilating back into Rhodesian society that undermines women. Tambu, Maiguru, Mainini and Nyasha as women are disadvantaged, since traditional African social practice places high value on the male gender. Tambu’s family resources are channeled on developing Nhamo’s abilities and preparing him to lead and provide for his clan in future. Tambu only steps into the role of future provider after Nhamo dies. Nyasha and Tambu are burdened with the prejudices and limitations that chained most African girls of her generation. Gender inequality, sexism and racial discrimination forms the environment for female characters’ lives. These not only kills ambition but also crushes women’s spirits, and discourages them from pursuing their preferred goals. Analysis of the film Fatou Kine (1999) The film Faat Kine, (1999) presents Kine, a Senegalese woman who finds herself in an awkward situation after two pregnancies out of wedlock. She was close to getting her own baccalaureate when she was impregnated by one of her professors, who refused to take responsibility and subsequently had her expelled. Her father was so disappointed with her that he wanted to burn her. Kine’s mother provided the shield with her body and ended up with severe burn scars on her back. Since the Senegalese culture was so severe on women and marriage. It prohibited women from having children out of wedlock. Those who had children outside marriage were regarded as a disgrace to the family. Only a few years after her first pregnancy, she was pregnant again and abandoned by her fiancé. Sumarée, Bamby in her interview "Being a Woman in Senegal." says, “… in my country, women suffer very much from illiteracy.The super exploitation of their labor power in the workplace and deep-rooted cultural prejudices. (Bamby June 15, 2002) However, Kine refused to be weighed down by her misfortunes. She worked hard and became successful, buying a house for herself, her two children, and her mother. This earned her a place as a successful gas station owner in patriarchal Senegalese society. Some men actually went to her for loans to start up their own businesses. Kine managed to bring up her two children single handedly. As a woman oppressed by patriarchy, she did not look up for the support of the men who had disgraced her. Instead she followed her own path. She became economically able on her own. Kine blocked any frantic effort by the men who humiliated her to come back to her life when they realized she had economic power. Hers is a testimony of a woman who managed to pull out of patriarchial ideologies on women’s preferment to marriage. By being able to lead a successful life without the umbrella of a man. She clearly brings out the strength and perseverance of black women as echoed by sojourner Truth “Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me? And ain’t a woman?” (Truth 1838,75). Her success was largely attributed to her resiliency. Analysis of the film Fatou Kine Finally, the condition of women in Jamaica is illustrated in the film Dancehall Queen, (1997). Mercia is a single mother of two teenage daughters. A street vendor grinding together a living in the ghetto section of Kingston, Jamaica. She works as a street vendor. Uncle Larry exploits her teen daughter Tanya sexually because he supports the family financially. Due to Tanya’s outrageous rebellion towards uncle Larry, he threatens to withdrawal his financial support. Marcia is a victim of sex predation. Her endeavor to get education was cut short when she got pregnant at the age of fifteen. As it was a culture of condemning women who got children out of wedlock, she was forced into the streets and became vulnerable to male scavengers who she had to depend on for support. Tanya’s determination to lead an independent life inspired Marcia into venturing in the Dancehall Queen competition. Don in an outrageous glamour, she soon finds refuge in the beats of the very dance hall outside of which she normally vends. According to Carolyn Cooper “Jamaican dancehall culture is commonly disparaged as a homophobic, homicidal misogynist discourse... women are represented as mindless bodies, (un) dressed and on display exclusively for male sexual pleasure” (Cooper 2000). Rather this antic represents women’s positive self-image and confidence. Marcia’s victory in dancehall completion came after handwork and not only announced her economic freedom but also set her free from Uncle Larry and priest. Her determination to compete for the prize in the dance competition made her to overlook what people would have thought about her and the dancehall culture. proved that even though a street vendor, her fortitude had yielded her the much needed and unexpected success. This was contrary to myth about dancehall sexuality as captured by Obiagele Lake in “Rastafarl Women “The problem with reggae is repeated and magnified in dance hall music. Music is used to reify male supremacy and inferiority of women. Both depict women in very derogatory ways and explicitly rail against homosexuals.” (Obiagele, 128) It’s through dancehall music that Marcia finds liberation from her predicaments oblivious of who was watching her. As illustrates by Carolyn Cooper in Female Fertility Rituals in Jamaican Dancehall Culture “The dancehall, thus conceived, is a liberating space in which working –class women and their more timid middle-class sisters play out eroticized roles that may not ordinarily be available to them in the rigid social convention of the everyday.” (Cooper 2000). Thus Marcia represents women in Jamaica who have risen above adversities that women face and gives them hope of freeing themselves from male chauvinism through their performance. Conclusion In effect, the three women, Kine, Marcia and Tambu experience different difficulties in their various circumstances but are similar in their resilience to overcome challenges. They represent women of Africa and the African diaspora who battle with the issues of sex, race and class. Cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, chauvinism, economic inadequacy and inaccessibility to proper education are some of the problems that fuel the challenges of women in a patriarchal society. These women effortlessly fought their way out to redefine their destiny. Though they were successful in their struggle, their victories lie in the strength they mustered to navigate a world that was insensitive to their concerns and their success is rooted in their unflinching desire to succeed. The success story of Kine, Marcia and Tambu shows that women can play a great role in social and ecomical matters as captured by Sudarksa “African women were farmers, traders, and crafts producers in different parts of the continent. It is equally well documented that their economic roles were at once "public” and "private." Women worked in order to meet the responsibilities placed upon them in their roles as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, members of guilds, chiefs, or citizens” (Surdaksa 1986, 100) These shows how women can be great partners in development matters in the present world if girls have equal access to resource available to boys. Belinda Otas alludes a 2012 report, ‘Make Every Woman Count’ argued that women and girls need to be considered as agents of change to enable them to participate in the economic, social, and political development within their community and have equal access to health information and services, education, employment and political positions. (Otas 2015, 45) to achieve these women need proper education just like their male counterparts. Social behavior is a strong driver of the marginalization of the girl child from getting equal access to education. The mindset of the people in less privileged and rural areas is the reason behind such alarming numbers of illiteracy. Zahn, Afshan, in "Girl Child Education." Life & Style, Women,” claims that “majority of parents believe that by educating their son they are rightfully investing in their future, whereas they feel that educating their daughter is purely a waste of money because they eventually get married” (Afshan 2016, 3). To change such patriarchal practices and retrogressive social attitude, awareness about importance of female education and empowerment should be encouraged. This is important because “educated mothers are better aware of their kid’s nutritional needs, health care and education” (Afshan 2016, 4) Girls should be educated to secure the future of the Nation. Annotated Bibliography Dengerembga, Tsistsi. Nervous Conditions. Oxford shire: Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 1988. Gender and patriarchal oppression encompass a major theme expressed in the novel. This Novel will be useful in highlighting some of Gender issues facing women. Faat Kine. Dir. Ousmane Sembene. Prod. Wongue Mbengue. Perf. Kine (Venus Seye). 1999 The film recounts the story of Fatou Kiné an unwed mother of two struggling in male chauvinist Senegalese culture. This film is useful in reinstating the strength of a woman. Dancehall Queen. Dir. Don Letts, and Rick Elgood. Perf. Marcia (Audrey Reid). 1997. The film features Marcia, a street vendor and a single mother of two teen living in the ghetto section of Kingston Jamaica. Will be useful in showing women struggle against chauvinism. Rosalyn Terborg-penn and Andrea Benton Rushing Women in Africa and the African diaspora: A reader Washington, DC. Howard University press. 1996: The authors present various ways of seeing liberation from sexual bias, race and class through African feminism theories that address their issues more appropriately. Otas Belinda. "Empowering African Women: Gender Is the Agenda." New Africa 49, no. 548 (March 25, 2015): 44-45. Accessed March 18, 2016. The journal explores the predicaments of women in developing world and how to incorporate them in development issues unbiased. Will be useful in showing role of women. Bwakali, David John. "Gender Inequality in Africa." Sex Discrimination 279, no. 1630 (November 2001): 270. Accessed March 18, 2016. The journal explores history of gender inequalities and its effect on the women today. Useful in outlining various issues affecting women. Grimke, Sarah. Excerpt from “Letters on the Equality of the Sexes,” pp. 65-67, In Feminist Theory: A Reader. 1838. The reading highlights history of gender inequalities and its effect on the women. Stanton, Elizabeth Cady. 1848. Excerpt from “Declaration of Sentiments” pp. 67-69, In Feminist Theory: A Reader. The author presents sentiments on the condition of women and declarations to end inequality. Useful in empowering women. Truth, Sojourner. 1851 and 1867. “Ain’t I a Woman?” and “Keeping the Thing Going,” pp. 75-76, In Feminist Theory: A Reader. The author presents her predicaments and achievements as a woman on the condition of women and declarations to end inequality. Useful in highlighting the strength of a woman. Butler, Judith. Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” in The Performance Studies Reader, pgs. 154-166. The author defines gender in relation to performance to help understand the gender categorization. King, Deborah K. 1988. “Multiple Jeopardy, Multiple Consciousness,” Signs, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 42-72. Explores and brings out the concept of multiple jeopardy. Ulysses, Gina. 1999. “Uptown Ladies and Downtown Women: Female Representations of Class and Color in Jamaica. In Representations of Blackness and the Performance of Identities, ed. Jean Muteba Rahier, 147-172. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey. It explores class differences in Jamaica and how they influence stratification amongst women. It will be helpful in discussing the concept of class as a form social oppression. Lake, Obiagele. 1998. Excerpt from “Misogyny in Caribbean Music” In RastafarI Women: Subordination in the Midst of Liberation Theology. Durham: Carolina Academic Press. Pgs. 125-133. It explores the dancehall Music in Jamaica and myth about dance hall music in Jamaica. Cooper, Carolyn. “Lady Saw Cuts Loose: Female Fertility Rituals in the Dancehall.” 2000. The article outlines the liberation of women through dance hall music Michael Mills. “Sex and Gender differences.” Posted October 20, 2011. (Online Resource); This article explores different perspectives of gender. It is helpful in explaining gender differences. Sudarksa, Niara. “The status of women in indigenous African societies”. Feminist Studies 12 (1):91-103. 1986. It explores the condition of women in indigenous Africa. It’s helpful in outlining the significance of a woman in the society. Sumarée, Bamby. "Being a Woman in Senegal." Interview. International View Point, June 15, 2002. Accessed March 21, 2016. The interviewee outlines the condition of women in Senegal and challenges women encounter. Molloy, Aimee. However Long the Night: “Molly Melching's Journey to Help Millions of African Women and Girls Triumph.” New York: HarperCollins, 2013. The novel tackles cultural burdens affecting women. Is useful in showing cultural issues. Read More