In this week’s class reading, we have been learning about the women’s movement in Africa. As we have discussed, it is out of the ordinary for Americans to think of Africans as being progressive, especially in terms of gender equality. However, the fight for women’s equality has been happened across the continent of Africa for many decades. A Ted Talk by Kenyan activist and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, Musimbi Kanyoro demonstrates one example of not just the women’s equality movement, but the human equality movement. In her talk, she explains a concept called Isirika, or the idea that there is a practical way to enact mutual responsibility for caring for each other. While this is the ideal, as she discusses, this idea is misconstrued into what we know as donors and recipients. Giving becomes a job, rather than just a natural expectation. In reality, it should be a privilege for those who have more to give more.
In particular, all of society is responsible for achieving the equality of women, not just women. Female leaders should be supported in order to enhance female equality. Women who are given the opportunity to achieve success should then give back to their own communities. Kanyoro explains that investment in women and girls is the best way to solve the world’s problems. She specifically argues that women are more likely to give back to their own communities by taking care of the children and elderly populations.
Do you think women are more likely to give back?
References
Kanyoro, Musimbi. 2017, November. Musumbi Kanyoro: To Solve the World’s Problems, Invest in Women and Girls [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/musimbi_kanyoro_to_solve_the_world_s_biggest_problems_invest_in_women_and_girls