One of the most noticeable and negatively destructive achievements of socio-cultural development and organizational transformation of societies has been the culturally solidified and often accepted myth alleging that men and women are not equal. Ever since humans started to live as an organized group with specific tasks, the categorization of roles to group members was introduced. As such men were on the one hand supposed to go and bring a hunt and women assumed the role of child bearing and raring on the other. Besides, since child bearing was so tiring and hunting demands physical fitness, women were supposed to stay at home and gather some fruits which would be a substitute if the males were not lucky with their hunt.
This might appear to be a reality some thirty or forty thousand years ago. Nothing important has transpired within the past 40 thousand years as regards the role and relationship of the two sexes. Humans were just successful in institutionalizing and sophisticating the segregation of the role of both sexes and making it a rule. We in Eritrea have developed a patrilineal society and culture that classifies women as nothing but a breeding machine. During the last three centuries, thanks to the socie-political and economic transformation in the wake of the industrial revolution in the 18th century, human life has witnessed dramatic change. And the technological transformation has in a way diluted the challenges of life. Nonetheless, women have been marginalized from contributing and participating in affairs that directly or indirectly affect them. Besides, the society in which they live, until before half a century in the West and until now in most of the developing countries and even some parts of the developed world, has not ensured their full emancipation.
The irony is that in almost all parts of the world, the most tiresome and demanding tasks are assigned to women. In the developing countries in particular, women have to fetch water and gather fire wood, have to look after the children’s’ health and the family as a whole, prepare food in addition to participating in agricultural activities. Unfortunately they command little attention within their respective families and communities. Worse still, women are usually victims whenever natural or man-made disasters occur, as they should take the responsibility of other helpless members of the community namely children and the elderly.
The most commonly practiced discrimination and marginalization of women has been the in being deprived of opportunities that would enable them to compete, participate and make due contribution in their respective societies. Deprived of the necessary opportunity to develop their skills, ability and competence no wonder if women remain powerless and subjugated. Since the last quarter of the 19th century, women in the West have tried to break away from marginalization through getting organized into activist groups for gender equality. Nevertheless, all males did not advocate the marginalization of women. Indeed, many brave male persons supported the emancipation of the female counterparts. It is ironic that women constitute almost half of the population in almost all societies around the globe. Yet, humankind has been leading life amidst paralyzing half of its social composition, and yet it is not ready to abandon doing so without protest marches and civil rights struggle.
Despite this, however, all the better treatment, opportunities and privileges women have got in the last century are the direct outcomes of the struggle waged by women’s rights activists. But that is not enough. Still the majority of women in the world are living the standard of life their great grandmothers used to lead more than a century ago. Besides, the concept of inequality is more than the deprivation of tangible opportunities. That is why transforming the attitudes and thinking of people on the gender issue should be an important part of women’s struggle.
Definitely, women are by no means the only section of humankind that has been marginalized from getting access to opportunities. But they are the largest group, and surprisingly enough practicing the marginalization of women has been blind to race, class and ethnicity, thus further rendering women to dual and multiple oppressions in the process.
The experience of Eritrean society has never been different either. In fact we have a bit more strict patrilineal society in all our ethno-linguistic communities except members of the Kunama ethnic groups. In Eritrea, women have been victims of dual marginalization- that of male chauvinism as regards their respective families and that of the religious one which denied them active participation in social and cultural life of society. Culture aften dictated that a woman has no business outside the “Wushate”-women’s separate room, eventually defining the domains and spheres of women activity even within their respective homes. Hence, women were barred from having a say even on things that directly affect their future, let alone on issues that concern the community and society at large.
Nonetheless, as compared to male counterparts in other parts of the world generally and the Third World in particular, Eritrean women have experienced dramatic transformation in their social status and role as did the Eritrean society during the armed struggle for independence. The role and contribution of Eritrean women in the armed struggle has few comparisons else where in the globe. Eritrean women were not only able to break through the barriers of culture and tradition but also break into the heart of men’s domain that is the military both as fighters and commanders. Without exaggeration, the armed struggle for independence would not have been successful without the active participation of women. What differentiates the experience of Eritrean women from that of other counterparts elsewhere facing the same challenges is the effect utilization of the opportunities they got.
Fair enough, the Eritrean independence struggle was not only about political revolution, but also the transformation of the society at large in which women’s emancipation represented a major component. And Eritrean women taking advantage of the opportunities the armed struggle provided, they took active participation and made admirable contribution to the achievement of independence. Still. Completely changing the attitudes and beliefs that are deeply rooted in tradition and culture requires more time and effort to consummate. Right after independence, those who have revolutionary experience were few compared to the whole population. Even then, they were able to shape the awarness of the society it large as regards gender equality.
The point worth noting at this juncture is that women have been marginalized everywhere as a result of denying them education, training and other opportunities on equal footing with their male counterparts that would enable them to develop their skills and. Lately, they have been able to secure greater attention from society and have secured affirmative legislative action. But still, this is the result of goodwill from the leadership. Hence women need to utilize the opportunities thus put in place, particularly education so as to further upgrade their status and role in society.
It is an indisputable fact that Eritrean female youths have ample opportunities and privileges compared with what was made available for their mothers and elder sisters, particularly during the colonial period. Thanks to the armed struggle, the Eritrean women who have made history are their mothers and sisters right by their side. The remaining task which they need to accomplish is that of making optimal use of every available opportunity in free Eritrea.
they have and lack of commitment. In fairness the challenges might be more complicated now as some of the institutions who encouraged women might not be there now or turned out to be a challenge by themselves for practical reasons. But the opportunities are also quite encouraging if the young can figure out where they are & how to use them. The only way out of marginalization is by facing it.
