The African woman: Victim and survivor of Africa’s social crises

Abstract

The African woman is a much deliberated subject within the continent as well as  globally. A positive image of her is that of a strong, beautiful and proud individual who is caring and protective of her family. This glowing picture of the African woman however is at odds with the status of the majority of African woman. Downtrodden, abused,  overworked, violated, disempowered, disadvantaged and poor are just some of the  adjectives that could be used to describe a large portion of Africa’s women. Whilst  efforts have been made by various entities to improve this status, African women  continue to be largely discriminated against and awarded a low status in their societies. The political, cultural, economic, health and religious climate in Africa serves to  reinforce this status quo and this in turn hinders the social life of the African woman,  thus deeply enmeshing her in Africa’s social crisis. This qualitative study explores how Africa’s social crises impact African women. Written from a feminist standpoint, this  article seeks to broaden knowledge and provide an understanding on the role of women in Africa’s social crises.

Key Words: Africa, Women, Social Crises, Challenges