The Woman and the Society

A woman is respected by society from the way she handles herself in public, how she treats the people that surround her, and most of all how she cares about her surrounding (these are the author’s views).

While two decades ago women were confined to certain jobs (thought to be suitable for women), in this fast and dynamic world, women have found themselves going out of the confinement and pursuing their desired careers. This has led to women spending more years of studying and becoming more ambitious to achieve higher and greater goals than they used to two decades ago.

In the last decade we have seen Africa produce one of the first woman president, vice president, a high number of women in the cabinet, and more women engineers, pilots, lawyers, scientists, gardeners, farmers, drivers, army officers, police officers, managers, pastors, the list is endless.

The question I ask is what has brought about this change? How could a society that once had stereotyped jobs allow for this kind of change?

I do not know the answer myself, I can only speculate on a few ideas.

First of all it is possible that the norm that was there several years ago that women were supported by their husbands once married has taken a new turn. Either the husbands have stopped caring enough for their women especially those at home (house wives) hence the women saw the need to catch up. Many are the incidences of working class men cheating their wives/partners with their workmates. This results in the men spending more time and money maintaining their external affair whilst their household (wife and children) suffers. In this regard some women who have gone through this sort of relationship have encouraged their children especially girls to work hard so that they can achieve higher in life and stand on their own. Sometimes the initiative is not from the mother herself but from the girl child who has grown up seeing her mother suffer from a non-supporting husband leaving her (the mother) struggling with the children.

Secondly the issue of promoting women participation in different fields of work within the society has also encouraged women to aim high. This is because this initiative has shown that women also have a potential and important role to play within the society. This has given women a sense of belonging within the society and has helped them to believe in themselves that they can do something to help their society. Some jobs which were male dominated have become more interesting with the participation of women as the women bring in a certain charm to the job. We have seen the flexibility of certain jobs like having a male nurse, a female diver, a female pilot, and so on. Don’t forget that for those jobs where you need a uniform, the women make the uniform look better (azimayi woyeeeeeeee!).

Thirdly the high cost of living has forced some men to encourage their wives to find something to do so that together they can make ends meet. Families which think in this way have also encouraged their girl child to work hard and achieve better. And for the single women, the need to support one self has led to more women aiming high so that they can earn more to make a living.
I must say for whatever reason women have decided to pull up their socks and take part in building their society, let us not give up on them. Let us as a society continue to support these women to reach their goals.

Women, continue aiming high; remember the sky is the limit.

Best wishes in the new decade!