This post is inspired by the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. There are quite a few IWD lists being published today, throughout the world. At AWDF, we canvassed our team and came up with our own list of 50 inspirational African feminists. We know that there are far, far more women than we could include in our list, but we wanted to at least make a start at celebrating the achievements of some of these great women – and we hope our friends will forgive us our omissions! Take a look and let us know who else you would have added.
I am honoured beyond words to be included in this amazing company. Thank you.
@Shalija – Thank you for the inspirational work you do
On March 08th, women throughout the world celebrated the ‘International Women’s Day.’
Unfortunately, we Congolese women, we didn’t have much to celebrate for. What happens to the women of Congo is also happening to all of us; we have lost our humanity, our dignity. We would compromise our integrity if we do not engage in their struggle.
Hundreds of thousands of women have been violently raped, mutilated and terrorized by a host of culprits (Rebel Groups, Rwandan Soldiers, ‘Congolese Soldiers,’ civilian population and even the United Nations).
The atrocities visited upon these women are hardly mentionable much less believable. They have faced gang rape, sexual slavery, kidnapping, forced incest, genital mutilation, torture, murder of loved ones and psychological trauma; all in an attempt to terrorize, displace and subdue the population.
The question for our global sisters who will be celebrating is, what have you done for Congolese women whom have been incapacitated by the extraordinary violence done to their bodies and spirits, crippling a whole society? Will you ignore and abandon those who will be raped, either again, or for the first time, by armed militia extracting the minerals used in the electronics we love and rely on? Or, will we as consumers, as members of the human race, take actions, sustained over time, to make gender violence atrocities stop?
You must not forget the late Mamma Techla Mchauru as one of Africa´s greatest women. She was, among other things Tanzania´s first nurse. She was the first chairperson of the Tanzanian Parent Association etc. She was an advisor to the late President Julius Nyerere. Send me your physical address and I will send you a short book about her life. I initiated the writing of the book while I worked at the Norwegian Embassy in Dar in the late 80´s.
Thanks for this Rodney. The AWDF address for mailing is ‘The African Women’s Development Fund, Private Mail Bag, CT89, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana’. Please mark your package FAO: The Communications Officer’.
Many Thanks
Very very honored to be part of this amazing movement.Thank you
Sent you the book about Thecla about a month ago. Have you received it? Sent it by post from Norway.
Dear Rodney,
Thank you so much! I have been out of the office and just received the book on my return. Thank you so very much for taking the time out to send it to me. I will read and review it shortly. Is the book available for sale anywhere. Readers of the review may be interested in purchasing a copy.
Regards,
Nana
I`m interested with the book concerning to mama Mchauru it will be better if i will get a copy because she was my grandmother and her family has got no copy of it. if possible mail it to P O BOX 14298 DAR ES SALAAM TANZANIA.
Dear Tanzania AWDF.
I read of a book about Mamma Techla Mchauru.
Nimenua mamma Teckla mingi sana. Mamma Teckla ni “MAMMA MZEE”
My late husband, Rolf Gunnar Klemetsen and me,
Marrit Kop, have worked with Mamma Teckla for about ten years with the Tanzania Society for celebral palsy and mental retardation, ( 1980 – 1990). She is/was a great woman. Tanzania has to be enormous proud of her and she was the” first lady” in Tz for many years, all my respect and memories to and for her and her famlie. I would love to buy the book as a memory to her.
Asante sana,
Marrit