What readily comes to my own mind whenever the term; ‘social justice’ pops, is usually the nagging feeling of Nostalgia or deprivation, or the Combination. The lurid picture of an unfair society where the acceptable norms and traditions are lop-sided, so much so that they not-so-privileged few are forced to work out their own survival magic, regardless of the dehumanizing lengths they are meant to go in their quest for survival. Before I proceed, there are a few salient points that I consider imperative. Firstly, the definition of the term; Social Justice, would suffice. The Urban Dictionary. Com, defines Social Justice as, “promoting tolerance, freedom and equality for all people, regardless of race, sex, orientation, national origin, handicap, etc.”…
Another definition of Social Justice by Oxford Dictionaries is, “Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges within a society”. If the above definition is anything to go by, then it’s safe to say that the practise of Social Justice exists nowhere, not even in the remotest part on this planet. It is a hurtful truth, a regrettable reality, one we cannot wish away even if we tried, but at the same time the minutest solace comes with the fact that we, African Women, already know we are bedevilled with that harsh reality.
How about a situation where, a woman could not have possibly climbed the cooperate ladder successfully, without an undue credit given to an imaginary alpha male, as being instrumental to that. Really? Are women that biologically dependent on men to achieve maximum functionality?
How much of this wealth of social privileges, had been extended to that hapless and helpless child, who has got the qualification for a scholarship, but gets side-lined from it, simply because they have got no known name, or no “godfather” in the places that matter, to facilitate their chances.
Thankfully, Africa had done well to live above the caprices of gender-induced polity, her ability to produce the first female president in Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in January 16 2006, lends credence to that fact.
There had been a rather dysfunctional structure that constantly impedes the effectiveness of social justice practise in Africa, in which I’ve subdivided into, biological, religious, and economic factors.
Biological factor: Since the biblical perspective of creation became rife, the womenfolk are yet to hear the last of it. Forgive me if i sound like a prejudiced feminist, but only until recently, women were perceived as a mere object of procreation. With the benefit of hindsight, my late mum of blessed memory, would have seen absolutely no need to have lived up to her billings as “an object of procreation”, if she knew any better. She could have been convinced by her loving husband that by birthing nearly a dozen of children, her feminine prowess was legendry. So who had eventually taken up the dire responsibility of training this kids, now that the alpha husband had passed, leaving behind responsibilities, ranging from mortgages, time-bound loans and countless number of paper evidences of credit purchases. She dare not shirk her duties as a mother. No she wouldn’t, women hardly do. They are fierce fighters.
Glad to know that a few women of these days are getting smarter than that. How about the sick belief that women are the weaker sex and as a result should remain in obscurity? Gone are the days when women were objectified or even ornamentalized.
Religious factor: perhaps if we had a direct access to heaven and its day to day activities, we just might be startled by how disappointed the almighty himself would have become on seeing the abysmal religious disintegration that had characterized our relationship with each other. The spate of religious crisis appears to have come to stay. The Islamic group perceives the Christian group as a fundamental enemies and vice versa. Beyond your academic qualification, your religious qualification could fraught your chances of landing a job! What about the carnage that this religious diversity had left in its wake in Africa and beyond? That would be a story for another day. “My attitude towards you would probably be dependent on your religion, it just has to be in sync with mine”. How does equality thrive in such situation?
Economic factor: social strata syndrome would be the literary explanation to this. One’s level of respect and accolades would be guaranteed only when your economic clout had been sufficiently defined and validated, such a myopic manner of assessment. Priorities are given to the child of an ex-governor before listening to a common man’s child. And most often than not, that child of a “nobody” might as well forfeit their slimmest chances of being given some consideration, mainly out of frustration and the loss of self-will to keep trying or hoping against hope.
A friend of mine once mentioned in a chat that, there is no such thing as the rich, the average and the poor. She said, the society comprises of the rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots, the privileged and the non-privileged, and just to add to the distressing list, the blessed and the cursed? Depending on your religious inclination anyway.
Please feel free to add your own structural factors that could fraught the effectiveness of the true practise of social justice in the society.
The question remains, is there any respite in sight, anytime soon? Or would hopes trickle down to what it appears to have been, a mirage?
Individually and collectively we could make our contributions from our respective units, regardless of how insignificant it may seem. Since the focal point for this write-up is on women, we should learn to treat that “maid” of ours the way we would be comfortable for someone else to treat our own kids. If you cannot find an appropriate word to describe her other than a house help or maid, then be sure to make them not to feel so, at least for posterity sake. I’ll conclude with, “Nations are not great virtue of their wealth, but by the wealth of their virtue” (Ese Malami).
