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OPINION

By Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. Rather, it should that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”— 1Peter 3:3-4.

As citizens of Africa, the topic of empowering and emancipating women is one where tradition versus modernity.

Historically, African women were empowered in one way or the other, depending on a particular set of culture, traditions and norms.

Before the coming and intervention of the colonialists, women played important roles in the society. From agricultural production, to peacemaking. Some even held important positions of leadership and had a say in the political matters of the nation. We have all heard of the famous women soldiers of Dahomey in history.

One would define women emancipation and empowerment as the process by which women in general achieve economic, social, political and religious equality with men.

Women’s emancipation has made significant progress, but challenges persist mostly from our traditional beliefs and practices, not forgetting rigidly traditional individuals who still impose inhumane and degrading practices onto the society.

Communities like the Sabiny that up to date practice female genital mutilation (FGM), young girls still getting forcefully thrown into early marriages and deprived of the opportunities that education might have presented to them instead, giving them early and unwanted pregnancies plus responsibilities they have no idea about.

While strides have been made in areas like education and workforce participation, gender inequality and discrimination persist in various forms. Continued efforts are essential to fully achieve the intended objectives of women’s emancipation.

Women’s emancipation, a movement rooted in the quest for gender equality, has undergone significant transformations over the years. While substantial progress has been achieved, the journey towards realising its intended objectives is ongoing. These objectives include equipping women and allowing them to make life-determining decisions to different societal problems, economic empowerment, boosting women’s status through literacy/education at all levels to enhance the quality and quantity of human resources available for development, political and cultural empowerment, securing equal rights, removing gender discrimination from laws and institutions, and also setting legal standards that would promote full equality with men.

Have these objectives been achieved?

It is safe to say with the intention of assimilating women into the economic workforce for socio economic development, women employment is often survival driven. With the sadism that has followed the empowerment of women, men no longer fulfil their duties leaning on the famously infamous notion that what a man can do, a woman can do better. These are the broken families that are continuing to crop up in our communities with single struggling parents.

The employed women’s low earnings do not guarantee them social protection. With the poor salaries and wages, they can barely afford healthcare, cope with crises and shocks, invest in the education of their children, let alone make any investments themselves. The empowerment has resulted in most women being economically and financially vulnerable! Which, in due course, has prompted women to undervalue themselves.

It is evident with the large numbers of learned, educated women who have decided to become full-time housewives and stay-at-home mothers. Teachers, lawyers, business administration graduates, journalists, to mention but a few — have given up competing with their counterparts, the men, who still undermine and discriminate them at places of work.

Traditions and culture limitations are a liability when it comes to undermining the intentions of women emancipation. Stereotypes and societal expectations continue to impede progress.

Women, particularly in certain regions, still face barriers to education, healthcare and employment opportunities. Balancing career and family responsibilities remains a complex challenge for many.

Value clashes, abandonment of traditional values which enabled family stability and a wholesale appropriation of Western values and a misconception of women emancipation. We can all agree that the women who have achieved emancipation have actually misunderstood the whole concept, thinking that adopting western behaviours would qualify them as fully emancipated.

Many will agree that most of these women face identity crises, decorate their lack of traditional values and decorum, disrespect as standing up for themselves and speaking up for the other women branding themselves as feminists.

One interesting fact is, if a woman has sh2m and a man has only sh1m, then the family has only sh1m. This financial selfishness has even been sarcastically baptised, “sente ye’kikazi”.

We should understand that the concept of women emancipation varies globally, with cultural, economic and political contexts influencing the progress.

While some countries have made great strides in achieving this equality, others still grapple with deeply ingrained gender norms and beliefs, especially in Africa and undeniably in Uganda.

As we take strides towards achieving equality for all and liberation for our women folk, let us not forget who we are, where we come from and where we want to go. Let us not bury our identity and values, for the coming generation of Africans may have no roots to hold them firm and strong in this era of moral decay.

We shall continue to make efforts and fight for the equality and empowerment of our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and the generations to come. But through all this, let us also make a point to emancipate the boy child as well for he holds part of the key to the liberation of the woman, then we can achieve the intended objectives of the movement.

“Stories shape our perceptions and beliefs. By telling diverse stories of African women, we can challenge the stereotypes and inspire change.” – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

The writer is UPDF/Defence Spokesperson blessed.kasigwa6462@gmail.com