The essay aims at discussing the percept of God by the ancient Africans and the impact of the understanding on the African women. There is also a discussion on the benefits of that understanding in present day perspective. The essay also put forward the difficulties faced by the women in expressing themselves. There is also discussion about the surprising fact where the women remained fully expressive. The essay also puts forward viewpoint regarding the oppression of African women.

In ancient Africa, religious concepts revolved around a female deity. It was considered that African woman had a universally acknowledged and empowering influence. They represented not only the giver but also the sustainers of life (Amadiume, 2015). There was a belief that the creation of women took place to make sure that creation of life do not end forever. Thus, the African women had various roles in the form of giver, nurse, saviour and the hope for the mankind to be a part of the history. Therefore, the worship of the mother figure conveyed the idea of caring, generosity and compassion. In present day’s scenario, the association of God to image of motherhood in ancient Africa also enhanced the status of female sex. This implied that concept of motherhood of African women was a representation of ideological and institutional empowerment.

Matriarchy is however not a reflection of patriarchy where the system solely depends upon oppression of a particular sex by other. Matriarchy is neither directly opposite to patriarchy or is equivalent or based on violence and appropriation (Stephens, 2013). Due to the gender they were never allowed to celebrate violence instead they had to indulgence in exchange, fecundity and redistribution. Thus, matriarchal communities are a tribute to the women for ensuring health care and food security for the community.

Although gender stereotypes play a vital role in the economic and social organization of the matriarchal societies they are never used for establishing hierarchy between the women and men. Moreover, African woman always represented an economic asset for both their fathers and their husbands but the areas of subjugation remained in the fact that her work in fields was only counted as an addition of her family wealth (Sesanti, 2016).

In ancient Africa, it was surprising to see women totally expressing themselves as major traders both at regional and local level. The instinct to the trade was not only inborn but nurtured from the very childhood (Alesina, Giuliano & Nunn, 2013). Moreover, these women traders led to the development of marketplace economy where they held the monopoly of trade for commodities like cosmetics, baskets, pottery, agricultural surplus, beads ornaments, salt manufacture, food catering and hairdressing. In addition it was also surprising to see how women expressed themselves in designing the laws that defined the communities. This implied that women were the ultimate monarchs and has helped in organizing and designing a society and state concept.

The marginalization of the African women took place in the capitalist colonial economy (Smith, 2016). Although African women perform around sixty six percent of the total work but earns only ten percent of income and holds one percent of property right. With so much prominence of International Women’s Day such a scenario cannot be agreed upon. Women should hold a position at par with men.

The essay ends with a discussion on the oppression of the women. The essay also throws a light on various aspects of women in ancient Africa and how they were considered superior.

References:

Alesina, A., Giuliano, P., & Nunn, N. (2013). On the origins of gender roles: Women and the plough. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 128(2), 469-530.

Amadiume, I. (2015). Male daughters, female husbands: Gender and sex in an African society. Zed Books Ltd.

Sesanti, S. (2016). African Philosophy in Pursuit of an African Renaissance for the True Liberation of African Women. Journal of Black Studies, 47(6), 479-496.

Smith, A. (2016). Heteropatriarchy and the three pillars of white supremacy: Rethinking women of color organizing. Women in Culture: An Intersectional Anthology for Gender and Women’s Studies, 404.

Stephens, R. (2013). A history of African motherhood: The case of Uganda, 700-1900 (No. 127). Cambridge University Press.