The perception has created man-made vulnerability to women and
girls. Some chores continually subject women to otherwise dangerous yet
mandatory environments, while collecting firewood, fetching water, attending
livestock women have drowned, attacked by wild animals and militia groups
causing emotional and bodily harm. Women have been subjected to lesser economic
gainful enterprises in patriarchal societies who perceives women contributions
as insignificant.
The trend seems to change in unprecedented rate as whole world.
Women have taken influential and seat in cornerstone on many development and
leadership positions. World Super power United States of America has woman vice
president Her Excellence Kamala Harris. While Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher
held Britain prime minister position in different times. For sixteen years,
Angela Markel led Germany.
Africa is not left behind
as Ellen Sirleaf Johnson held the helm of Liberia, a leadership which has saw
sanity and rule of law back to the country wounded by civil war. Catherine
Samba Panza led Central Africa Republic between 2014 and 2016 while Rose
Francine Rangombe led Gabon between June and October 2009. Samia Suluhu Hassan
took over from Late H.E Dr Magufuli in Tanzania while Sahle Work Zedwe is the
current president for Ethiopia.
In Kenya women have made remarkable strides from dark past to
limelight both in private sector, public leadership and political position. The
appointment of Nyiva Mwendwa to cabinet position in 1995 took male chauvinists
by surprise but was the beginning of women presence in leadership positions
which is now entrenched in the 2010 constitution. Performance of women in
leadership position has proofed that they are equal participant with men.
In community development front, women have provided the most
needed workforce either freely and below market rates. Family farming which
feeds over 70% of world population according to World Rural Forum statistics
2013 is most dependent of women labor who toil to ensure their crops are
planted in time, weeded and manure applied and taken care from pest and
diseases and harvested. In most patriarchal African societies’ men make the
decisions while women implement such decisions, a culture which continues to
draw back gains made in gender equality. In pastoral communities, women are
left to small livestock while men own large livestock, which bring incomes in
terms of labor and sells when they are sold. Decisions to own some property and
even income by women remain highly influenced by men and thus low homegrown
development initiatives in rural communities
In recent past women have clustered themselves in self run and
regulated micro finance initiatives which have offered much needed and deserving
source of income in rural areas. These initiatives have seen women be able to
afford household items such as cooking wear, school uniform for their children
and school fees, access to better health and more regular and nutritious meals
to their families. Through loans and financials savings from their groups’
(chamas’) women are able to start business and earn income and decent lives.
Women play important roles in all aspects of development, due to
their closeness to nature, while proving for the families, women have very
sound mindset in environmental conservation which has seen many women take lead
in rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.
For any community, be it in developed countries, developing, war torn
regions, rural or urban to realize sustainable development, women need to be
placed in their right positions as the current trend has proven that they can
do what men have done and even in better. Previous closed opportunities for
women need to be availed to them so that they can optimize their contribution
in nation building.
