WHERE WE WERE

 

It is worthy of note, that whatever position we are occupying today, some women of note have struggled, fought and paid through their noses for it.

However, in our quest to attain more, speak more and occupy more spaces, I think we need to understand where exactly we are coming from, how smooth or rough our journey has been- to take a breath and part ourselves on the back. Of course, our journeys have been different. The starting points differed. While women of colour had their bait handed over to them earlier, black women had just left the stage of self-realization and awareness. 

Throwing it back into history, women were usually excluded in meaningful conversations, and when mentioned, we were usually portrayed in sex stereotypical roles such as mothers, wives, daughters and mistresses. Nothing more. In the literary texts of those times, women were always at the receiving end of men's unending ego, insecurities, sexual excesses and irresponsible behaviours.  We were the baby-making machines and were tantamount to materials and objects that must be acquired in numbers if you must be tagged wealthy; and of course, beaten and brutalized if the man must be seen as the head and voice of his household.

The reality of women of those times was themed by sex and reproduction, employment, status, rights and equality. Black women have been the most affected by hyper-sexualization, body policing and sexual assault throughout time. They were used both as human tools, as well as sexual devices for their white slave-masters.

However, the differences in women's lives were caused by economic status, race, social status, religion and various other aspects of society. The more privileged women of all those times, secretly had their voices buried in memoirs, letters, poetry and court records, which are being uncovered by scholars.

Of course, some of these writings turned out to be strong intellectual materials against the all-emotional being we were taken to be. All these and more were our realities in time past until the period of self-awakening which triggered some reactions to the unfavourable actions of the society. We no longer wanted our daughters to be treated as second-class citizens in their fathers' houses, we detested our mothers being beaten, we realized our sexuality is a part of life to be expressed and enjoyed, we desired sisterhood👭 and a relationship with our fellow sisters far beyond being co-wives, we wanted a title detached from what men made us-wives, mothers. 

Hence, we embarked on a long journey on which we are. Yes, a long one with some issues already rectified, and some being discussed without forgetting where we are heading. 

For the long journey ahead, the place of a support community is inevitable to ensure that women learn from the experience of one another and achieve a balance in all facets of life. We want to see women who are total and entire- making waves in their careers and businesses, building great families, parenting promising children, and living to leave their footprints in the sand of time.