Re: Womens Economic Rights> womeneconomicrights-conference>pressure group-a necessity

[fantsuamfoundation@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

I have only been able to follow part of the discussion 
so far, due to restricted email access, so please 
forgive me if I am covering old grounds again.

I think it will be in order for us to also extol the 
triumphs women have recorded within the culture and 
economic system in Nigeria. I make this suggestion 
because I do not think the negative aspects of our 
culture and economy tells the full story of women's 
survival.

My mother-in-law can barely write her name as she's 
never been to school, and when her husband died 27 
years ago, she was left to bring up six children alone. 
Her husband was a labourer with the railways so you can 
imagine her economic plight. But the woman in her woke 
up, she trained all her chldren through universities 
through her 'mama put' restaurant and today she is one 
of the respected cultural and religious leaders of her 
community. When the village women 'downed' tools and 
insisted that the chief abdicate, it took my mama's 
leadership skills to assuage the women. I have not come 
across any man of whatever age or position in society 
who can faze mama. I've asked about her secret and she 
asks me 'what are you talking about?' This is the 
spirit of great women, they are not even aware of the 
feats they are scoring, they just live each day to the 
full and are happy to do so within their cultures and 
economy.

I am sure many readers of these discussions can cite 
many other more prominent examples. I just wanted to 
bring this up to show that while our culture and 
economy has not been perfect (which culture is?), it 
has provided the environment that has allowed the 
greatness of many Nigerian women to manifest itself.

My views do not in any way underestimate the struggles 
for equity which must be sustained if Nigeria is not to 
miss out on the enormous potentials available in her 
women folks.


Kazanka Comfort
Fantsuam Fondation
Kafanchan
Nigeria