Women of Africa

I often get asked about the status of women in Africa. Are they treated as inferiors by men? Do they have rights?

The country we visit, Namibia, has equal rights for men and women guaranteed in their Constitution. (Wish we had that!) Women are able to own property, be employed, hold elected office, etc., the same as men. Now that does not mean that all things are equal. Take this story from The Namibian on International Women's Day:

TODAY is International Women's Day and Namibian women will mark the day with a mixed sense of achievement and concern.

While strides have been made to include women in decision-making, violence against women and children remains a serious problem, notes the United Nations Population Fund in Namibia (UNFPA).

UNFPA Representative in Namibia Nuzhat Ehsan said yesterday that while it was commendable that Namibia had placed women in key positions within Cabinet, most Namibian women were still not in a position to decide freely on key issues that affect their lives because they lacked both the opportunity and the resources to do so.

"A sad manifestation of this is gender-based violence," said Ehsan.

Today March 8 is International Women's Day: Inspiring Potential.

IWD inspires women to achieve their full potential. Celebrated globally from Alaska to Zambia, IWD highlights women's progress worldwide.

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