On this International Women’s Day, the women of the continent are determined to make their voices heard through a series of protests, gatherings, meetings, and celebrations – whether official or not. In the DRC, for example, the RSLF movement (Nothing Without Women) is leading the charge, with its members declaring, “On this 8th of March, we are in the midst of a fight. We will take to the streets, dressed in black, alongside men who believe in equality, justice, democracy, and peace.”
Towards a Better Representation in the Political World?
Women represent half of the population and even a little more, but they are under-represented in public life…
This is particularly the case in Ivory Coast. Florence Tanoh, director of gender and equity at the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children, takes stock in the columns of the daily Intelligent: “in Ivory Coast, she says, we have only 16 women mayors out of 201, 32 women deputies out of 250 and 7 women in government. Despite everything, notes Florence Tanoh, “enormous progress has been made in Ivory Coast in terms of women’s rights. In particular, at the level of young girls’ schooling, or even the improvement of the status of the woman in the couple. »
As far as the representation of women in public life is concerned, things still get stuck… A political party must have 30% of women on its lists of candidates. We are still far from this figure…
Displaced and Destitute
In Burkina Faso, the “WakatSéra” information site went to meet three women, three displaced, in Pazani, north of Ouagadougou… Three women who, like thousands of others in Burkina, are not at the party, far from there. Driven from their land, having lost their husbands, they survive by sifting the earth to produce sand. “We don’t know about this March 8 holiday,” said one of them. Struggle to eat and that is what worries us the most. We have no real job, no money, and therefore no party,” she adds.
According to a report in the daily newspaper “Le Pays“, no official events have been organized in Burkina Faso to mark International Women’s Rights Day this year. The newspaper remarks that the authorities appear to have more pressing matters at hand and have not even produced an official garment, as has been done in previous years. The Country concurs with this assessment, noting that the current situation is not conducive to celebrations. In its view, the foremost priority is to harness all available resources to counter the threat posed by armed terrorist groups, which pose a grave danger to the country’s very existence.
One Day a Year…
Walf Quotidien in Senegal highlights a novel initiative by some husbands to reverse traditional gender roles on March 8th. The newspaper reports that some men are taking on domestic chores such as cooking, doing laundry, and managing household finances while their wives enjoy leisure time with their friends. Walf Quotidien observes that this International Women’s Rights Day presents an opportunity for men to pay tribute to their spouses by assuming their responsibilities, even if only for a day each year.