Wassa , i am happy to read your posting on the L. As you've just mentioned to Saikss that "For us to do justice, the condition of our women as well as our peoples', must be put in its proper historical perspective." Yes, that is true but who is going to put it on a proper historicall perspectives? This is why we need people like you to write and engaged on critical debates and issues.

We need these information to move further and one point of clarification. Even though i am educated, employed and knows my rights, this does don't exempt me from chavinism. Working in African now, realities hits me everyday i worked and droved on the streets of Accra. I am always reminded that i am a woman. Of course i am woman, i love being a woman and nothing can make me change that but i don't want to be reminded of that.

So, what the oppressed woman in African share with the oppressed woman in Europe is chavinism and male ego. The fact that the women in Britain has the opportunity or the education does not stop them from being abuse or discriminated just because they are  women. To prove this visit London Women's Aid and you will be suprise, this goes on for every corner where there are women.

ND. Sidibeh, your points are well noted and now that we have Wassa on the L, i believe the Oral History Project will take Off:)

The Struggle Continues!!

Ndey Jobarteh

 

Guys >From: Wassa Fatti <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: March 8 Greetings >Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 12:51:37 +0000 > >Saiks, >Your sentiments RE: March 8 greetings is a sincere one and I commend >you for >it. However, we need to move beyond sentiments as Africans in order >to move >forward. >The point I want put across is: What does the oppressed women of >palestine >share in common with the oppressor women of Israel? In fact, what >does the >oppressed women of the oppressed nations share in common with the >oppressor >women of the oppressor nations? What I want all of us to be cleared >about is >the fact that new imperialism,like the old one is still causing more >harm to >the women of the oppressed nations than the so called "oppressed >men" of the >oppressed nations. I am not denying that there is no oppression of >women in >our part of the world. There is. But why to day we are talking about >the >oppression of women in Africa? >The reason is clear.Through out the history of the African struggle >for >independence from colonialism, the contribution of women have been >denied by >men. In Afircan history however, women always have a historical role >and in >most cases, more important than the role of African men. For us to >do >justice, the condition of our women as well as our peoples', must be >put in >its proper historical perspective. Otherwise, we will follow other >peoples' >agendas for our own enslavement. For the super-exploitation of >Africa today >is benefiting every child, man, woman of the oppressor nations. Our >strength >must lie in our historical experience in comparison to others. There >is a >diffrence. To understand what I am saying, please look at historical >evolution of women in Europe and compare it with the historical >evolution of >women in Africa. You will see the difference. Otherwise read "male >daughters >female husbands," by a Ngerian sister. You will see why male >children in The >Gambia have their mother's first names as second names even before >the >father's surname,i.e. "modou Binta ceesay." >Or why African women do not disappear in marriage like western >women, for >abandoning their family names for their husbands' surnames. The >struggle of >our women must also be part of the struggle against all forms of >exploitation and backwardness of our continent. > > >>From: saikss <[log in to unmask]> >>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list >><[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: March 8 Greetings >>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2002 12:24:48 +0100 >> >>Marc 8 is been observed through out the world as an International >>solidarity >>day with women. The long battle for equality by Gambian women >>still >>remains >>a history in the making. Since Independent their contribution to >>the >>political >>life of the country have been cornered to that of "Fan Clubs" and >>YAYI >>KOMPINS >>and the semi feudal nature of the Gambian society continue to >>strangle them >>in >>the corner of motherhood, bearing children, finding food and house >>wives. >>The >>majority of Gambian women live in acute poverty whiles they remain >>the >>touch >>bearers of hope in the society. >>But this has never led to any surrendering of their wish and desire >>of a >>better society. Their love songs are full of protest and the >>stories they >>tell >>their children in the night portray the inhuman conditions they are >>subjected >>to live .I grew up with one of these stories; A woman who when to >>pay her >>tax >>to the king never returned back home, she was murdered for reasons >>beyond >>reason. There are plenty of such stories, perhaps one day we will >>come to >>recognise that these are also forms of struggle. >>After Independence, it took us even long to arrive at Louis Njie >>and it >>took >>time to go beyond that level. The women's Bureau emerged as the >>talking >>drum >>of the establishment and today we have plenty of women gender >>activist who >>dear to go further than the limits set by men domination. One would >>recall >>the >>great efforts of sisters like Satang Jobarteh during the last >>elections; >>they >>struggled to put on the political agenda very important issues that >>have >>for >>years not been recognised in the political life of our country. >>These are >>sisters who have and are sacrificing a lot to make women struggle >>for >>equality >>in our society to become an uncompromising political issue in the >>country. >>They are running institutions, programmes etc all in the efforts of >>empowering >>women. Perhaps it is time for some of us to start thinking of ways >>of >>contributing to theses struggles too, perhaps the next donation >>contribution >>collections should go to them. Happy March 8 sisters. >> >>For Freedom >>Saiks >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> >>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >>Gambia-L >>Web interface >>at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >>To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >>[log in to unmask] >> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. >http://www.hotmail.com > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~