An African Woman

April 19, 2021

Illiteracy, starvation and abuse have been used to characterize or put a label on the African girl. Far from it, there is much more to an African woman than negative descriptions. The African woman is generally, extremely hardworking, independent, resilient, fiercely passionate, and naturally gorgeous.  An African girl is a force of nature, full of energy and the will to survive.

It is true that there are many challenges in Africa. In fact, sometimes it feels like a battlefield for survival, but that is what makes African women extraordinary. Most days these women face unimaginable challenges, but through strength and with prayer, they land on their feet. The African woman has had to learn to adapt and survive under the worst of circumstances.

Educated or not, married or unmarried, a young girl or an adult, rich or poor, these women are each fighting their own battles though at different levels of status and in different phases of life. The challenges are the same.  Some cases are more severe. There is no way to compare any group of African women to another because for every group or individual there is a part of their life that is more complicated than can be imagined.

 It is not just about the modern woman.  Looking back on my ancestry from my great grandmother to my grandmother and now to my mother, I can say that the strength of these women has been gravely underestimated. Most of them have gone through unimaginable circumstances in their lives and survived. They have had every reason to give up, but instead, they chose to live. These women are an inspiration to the future generations. I am personally exceptionally proud to be an African woman.

Instead of portraying African women as an icon for hopelessness, instead, e African woman needs to be portrayed as an example of strength. These women illuminate a sense of hope to many others out there going through similar challenges. These women deserve community support and encouragement. Instead of African women being preachers of change, they are more accurately, change itself.

An African woman coming from the farm with her children on a bike. She has firewood and a sauce pan ready to prepare the family meal when she gets home.