#IWD2019: Beauty, in the context of African Women's Values

By Fatola Abdullahi...

The sustainability of humanity can, undoubtedly, be credited to the existence of the feminine gender. The Beauties found in African women are like a rare gem. However, beauty within this context is not the physique but, unarguably, the potentials, knowledge and wisdom running within the women.

A typical African woman would extend courtesy to others but however gets infuriated when her rights and values are trampled upon. It is quite unfortunate that, many exploit this high level of mannerism and beauties in their possession. This exploitation often occurs during their adolescent age but we have failed to realize the threat it will pose on the economic development of such society.

An article authored by Torres and Knaepen, 2016 revealed that, in the developing world, young women and girls represent a vital invisible part of the work force which corroborates African women's industrious nature. It was said that 62% of economic goods are produced by African women while sadly, 8.5% are salaried, says Women In Africa (WIA) Initiative. They further asserted that Africa has the highest rate of women establishing business across the world.

In view of these beauties that make up an African woman, it is imperative to admonish everyone that women are partners not subordinates and their freedoms should not be withheld. To wrap it up, African women, both young and adults, should "never be limited by other people's limited imagination" as Dr. Mae Jemison, an American Astronaut and Physician, proclaimed. Similarly, A Nigeria writer, Chimamanda Adichie also urged that our feminist premise should always be, "I matter. I matter equally. Not 'if only', not 'as long as'. I matter. Full stop".

This piece is written in commemoration of this year's International Women's Day (2019) as a wish for fruitful life endeavors for all women across the world.

https://ibadanelite.com/2019/03/08/beauty-in-the-context-of-african-women/