2/27/2011
Women in Africa are given more opportunities and responsibilities in both domestic and public spheres giving them a sense of self-confidence and independence. There talk among the feminist scholars that suggest that this phenomenon might have the potential to promote greater political participation by women in post-conflict societies. Women are seen as ‘naturally’ peaceful due their roles as nurturing mothers and caretakers, while men’s aggressive associated with violence and war has been seen as a part of men’s nature. Women are started to become more aggressive like men and are actually having more “male dominated” roles to do. Women have been gaining more economic roles through income-generating development programs and social responsibilities as ‘temporary leaders’ of their households and communities, bestowing on them greater self-confidence and independence. While there is a good side to this there is also a bad side which would lead to the question, why are changes in gender roles during conflicts not sustained after conflict? There are studies that indicate that in Africa changes in gender roles during conflicts tend not be sustained after conflicts. Many African countries, emerging from armed conflicts have adopted new constitutions that guarantee equal political, social, and economic rights for both men and women. But in practice, women’s empowerment and gender equality never occur due to the unchanged patriarchal culture and social norms. This article says that society forces women to go back to their ‘original’ gender roles. Even though women have more of these male roles, they are still understandable under men. Men go back to their patriarchal tradition to reassert their identity and to secure men’s power over women. Maybe one day the world will stop with this inequality between men and women and finally give women the opportunity they deserve.
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