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Empowering Mandingo Women in Liberia By: Musa V. Sheriff 18 June, 2010 Woman must not accept; she must challenge. She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her; she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression. By: Margaret Sanger I am sure using this powerful empowering quotation by Margret Sanger will inspire, motivate and encourage young Mandingo women in Liberia and all over the world. Over the past months I have been pondering over this social phenomenon: Empowering Mandingo Women in Liberia, and what need to be done? Yes, I am very positive that Mandingo women will take the lead soon in Liberia. You may wonder why I am so optimistic about this social change. No doubt, I am an optimist, in other words a Liberal. Consider some important social changes. And then, pause for a moment and rethink about my argument. And then, keeping reading... about some amazing social changes. Slavery has come and gone. Black man is no longer a slave working on the white man’s plantation in the USA. . In 1960s, the blacks in the USA won civil liberties victory. Surprisingly, forty four years later, a son of a black man became president of that great nation. Colonialism has come and disappeared; Britain and France are no longer colonial masters. They are now good friends to Ghana and Guinea. They all belong to the community of nations: United Nations. Soviet and most of its allies have collapsed. Communism is slowing going away, except for a few nations: China, North Korea and Cuba. In 1970s and 1980s western women made enormous progress. They have been many successful feminist movements, for example liberal or radical feminists. In 2008, Hillary Clinton almost won the US Democrat primary election. If she had won, she would have miserably defeated and smashed out John Mc Cain and become the first female president in the USA. All of these demonstrate how society can change over time. I have given you enough evidence about some important social changes in the world. Based on this, it is reasonable to say Mandingo women will soon become very powerful in Liberia. As Simone de Beauvoir, an incredible French writer argued it is up to women to wake up and fight for change. If other oppressed groups can fight for change, why not women. Yes they can! It is all about commitment and strong determination. I must admit there has been amazing progress in empowering women in some countries. A perfect example will be our own country Liberia. Liberia is a nation that had 14 years of civil war. Fortunately, at the end of the war, we elected the first female leader in Africa. In fact, she appears to be the best president in the political history of Liberia. Rwandan is another war torn country, which has almost 50% of women in parliament. As discussed earlier, it is up to women to break the glass ceiling. Maximise your effort, target university degrees. This will help to empower you in our society. I am excited; you will no longer be exploited at Salala or Ganta immigration gates. I am excited you will help to prepare some of the brightest and smartest minds of Liberia. Again, it is up to you to strive for gender balance in Liberia. I want you get involved in the process, a process that will include you as an important player. Another important thing that could be done is to reinforce our fathers’ commitment for female education. In sum, it is up to Mandingo women to wake up, reinforce and strengthen their effort in empowering themselves. Let’s keep the discussion rolling, and what do you think? Musa V. Sheriff Vancouver, Canada |
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