What It Means To Be An African Woman

• Africa
• Who is An African Woman? 
• Qualities of an African Woman

Being an African woman can mean different things to different people. It not only defines who an African woman is but also her strength, fears and yearnings. Let me take you through what it truly means to be an African woman. 

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent in the world. It is a continent with a very high linguistic diversity. There are at least 3,000 distinct ethnic groups in Africa and around 2,000 different languages are spoken. Each of them has different dialects and cultures. The culture of African people is what marks them out distinctively from other cultures.

Due to the rapid population growth in Africa, there is an increase in hunger and poverty in African countries where food, water, and farmland are already in short supply. More people means more mouths to feed, more health care and education services to provide and so on. However,  the rapid population growth can be said to be a result of the patriarchal system in Africa. 

Africa is a deeply patriarchal continent, that is, the men are given so much power over the women, the women have little or no say in the society. Men are seen to be in control of the household, and even the country at large. 

The African man demands mainly male children, and to make that possible, a lot of children are being given birth to, thereby increasing the population.

Who is an African woman? 

A female child born into the African culture, tradition, way of life and society is an African woman. An African woman is a woman the stands strong even in the face of all the adversities that comes with not only being African but also being a female child. 

An African woman brings out the true beauty and colour of the African culture and tradition. She takes pride in the African tradition and this can be seen in her love for  African attires, exhibiting numerous styles and beauty of the African attire and culture. 

An African woman is a woman that has six children in a bad economy but still manages to feed the entire household. An African woman is known to have good household management skills. They are known to make the impossible possible in the home. 

Every African woman faces patriarchy in Africa, even though the feminism movement has emerged. Patriarchy in Africa is more of a mindset that will be hard to erase. Therefore an African woman is a smart woman that regardless of the patriarchal system still finds a way to influence the decision of the men in the society. African women are women who do not want to hide to make contributions to the household and society at large. 

The fear of An African woman is to be abused and manipulated by the superior sex, her strength is her education, her pride is her children. An African woman yearns for love and attention. Amid patriarchy, she wants to be heard and be given the floor to share her own opinions, she yearns for gender equality. 

Qualities of an African woman

• An African woman is beautiful: A woman who has a dark skin complexion and thick kinky or coily hair. A woman who comes in a variety of shapes and sizes which can range from slim/slender to thick/curvy.

• An African woman is strong: They are the household managers, providing food, nutrition, water, health, education, and family planning. Some women, amidst all of these responsibilities, play the role of the head of the home.  

• An African woman is a good listener: They give listening ears and all their utmost attention to their kids and husband, making sure they are thriving.

• An African woman is beautiful: Take a good look at the cover photo, that explains it all. 

Being an African woman means being black, being a homemaker,  being beautiful and strong. Being an African woman means being a mother to not only her kids but also to the male population.

An African woman is a child of Africa.