Black and Female? African Women’s Struggles for Credibility

From seemingly ancient times to the current day, being African or of African descent has automatically placed aspiring students and professionals at the bottom of an uphill battle. There was a time where it was scientifically accepted as fact that Africans were anatomically disadvantaged and incapable of reaching advanced levels of intelligence. This struggle has left deep scars in the heritage and memory of Africans, yet the stigma is further compounded by a simultaneous struggle against gender discrimination.

Africans have faced discrimination for centuries, yet women have been marginalized for much, much longer. In the Bible, it was shown that women were being marginalized as early as the first century AD, and it is highly likely that the suffering of women has gone back even farther. Sadly, in the same way, Africans have not fully recovered from their age of plight and the same is equally true for women. This brings to mind the question of how we, as women, can survive the double burden.

In the professional world, women have fiercely struggled against what is known as the “Glass ceiling.” This “Glass ceiling” is an invisible but firm limit on women’s professional mobility, and has caused countless cases of qualified women to be passed over for promotions given to equally or less qualified men. This practice is also found in academic settings, where according to civilrights.org, women face discrimination in attaining higher degrees especially in fields such as Math and Science.

Despite the unfavorable conditions we face as women, there are glimmers of hope. In an age of female prime ministers and heads of state, women are reaching new heights and chipping away at this “glass ceiling,” many of whom are women of color.

There are no heights that we cannot reach, and no goal that we cannot attain. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” I encourage you to take this text as a personal mantra and challenge yourself to reach greater heights. Young black girls and women everywhere will appreciate your contribution to their futures.

Tags: african women struggles, gender discrimination, gender inequality, glass ceiling

Gender What?

From a young age, society would create separate roles for males and females. It is assumed that a boy should wear blue and a girl pink. Boys should aspire to be firefighters and policemen while girls should aspire to be models and teachers. This is the stereotypical norm, but what happens when the girl desires to be a firefighter or a policewoman? What if the boy aspires to be a model? Are these children now to be considered wrong or should they be assumed to be homosexual in some way?

Over the past few decades, women have tremendously progressed worldwide in equality and gender perception. However, in some cultures including many African cultures, men and women are still placed in arbitrary pigeonholes. But is this right? Should young men and women limit their possibilities simply because of “how we do things?” In the age of female presidents and CEOs, could it be that many of us Africans need to let go of outdated views and stereotypes?

Growing up, it has been an inspiration to see the various jobs my mother has worked. Growing up in Ghana, my mother was a teacher, and she also worked as a firefighter, rising to very high ranks within her profession. I could imagine that even in today’s world, many men would have an issue with a firefighter wife. Seeing my mother not only hold this job but do it well has shown me that as women there is no job we cannot excel in. We should not allow society or others to dictate limits on our dreams. Dream big, dream widely and dream vividly!

Tags: african cultures, gender inequality, gender perception

Living (Your?) Dreams

It is the innate desire of every human to seek his or her happiness in relationships, careers, finances or other aspects of life. Ambition is a unique drive that keeps a person going through adversities, trials, and setbacks. The problem is, whose dream are you seeking to reach? Yours or someone else’s?

There is nothing more inspiring than observing the ambition of a youth who is planning his or her life. Children are encouraged to “Dream big,” and their parents are impressed by their lofty goals and aspirations. We can all probably remember what we wanted to be when we were growing up. However, over time, things change, and many of us encounter confusion regarding lifelong occupations. This confusion can come from many areas: change of interest, self-discovery, and influence from others.

In regard to influence from others, children are often influenced by their parents in their choice of profession; this is often very true within African cultures. In the eyes of many African families there is a handful of respectable professions, and most parents prefer that their children enter those professions. Some of these occupations, physician or lawyer, are chosen primarily for their financial benefit and the resulting prestige.  However, whenever this is the case, the child is deprived of his or her personal ambition, and a job that he or she truly loves. Parents often steer their children in a certain direction to ensure their future prosperity. They do this out of love, but it comes at the expense of the child’s happiness. Which is much important?

It is important to choose a job based on what you are called to do. When you finally are in that job you were meant to be in, you will know. Instead of living your parents’ dream, you must live yours. After all, you are the one who will be living it.

Tags: choice of prefession, lifelong occupations, living dreams, self-discovery