Strange Discovery

A woman I do not know wrote to me last week, according to her when her husband died she made sure she kept the property she and her husband laboured for and surprisingly this made her an enemy to the extended family, especially the women. Hmm I wonder why some women always believe that a widowed woman should sit and take whatever comes to her in the name of culture. Wait! I get it! Its not really their fault. That is the way women have been socialized and we have this belief that we must stay in that place that has been allocated to us. Guess what? I have news for you! women all over the world are coming out of the lie that has been passed down to them for centuries and they have taken their freedom to their homes, offices, shops,schools and any where they live, love, work or play, so watch out. Women are no longer brow beaten and cast down, they carry their heads high and face what ever comes their way with all the strength they can muster. Are you a woman? Join up!!!

Women, culture, religious laws and state laws.

I have been involved in a workshop where we are examining culture, religious laws and state laws and how it affects women especially in the area of inheritance. After listening to most of the participants and hearing how the leaders who are men have used these laws to subdue women and keep them where they feel the women should be. The questions that arises is WHY? Why should anyone make rules and implement rules that are suicidal, destructive and backward to women. What are they afraid of? Why do they feel that they should go to such an extreme to keep women down? Is this still in the name of culture and protecting the ways of our ancestors? Honestly we really need to take time and think this through. At this juncture I'm lost for words. Why should some cultures stone and kill women?Why should the law prevent an excuse for men not to allow women own or inherit property, why should women be denied information or kept from getting it? We must resolve this through awareness, media campaign, seminars, focus group discussions, training women leaders, capacity building for women especially those without formal education, meetings with gatekeepers and stakeholders. I could go on and on with strategies to combat the wrong meted out to women. The most important thing is for us to know that we must continue to push, be the change we want to see and do not give up no matter what happens. Have at the back of your mind that failure is NOT AN OPTION, WE MUST SUCCEED AND WIN IN THIS CAUSE.

the man died

Why did he die? why did he leave me to face this world alone? where is my cover? He is no more! Culture has taken over peoples reasoning. They said I killed him, I killed my love, my night in shinning armour. Did I kill him so I will face this discrimination?This show of shame. Definitly not! Who would have known that the people who have been laughing with me, playing with my children and visiting us as a family over 16 years will turn enemy. My childeren are confused that their loving uncles and aunties have suddenly become hostile, distant and total strangers. Our culture must stand, they say. it is the way of our ancestors and it must not be neglected another shouts. So I have to go through this grueling exercise of proving my innocence, after all it is the way of our people. Who will stop this humilation, this degradation of womanhood....