The Sunday Mail
Doris Nyasha Kumbawa
The full range of current media platforms have been awash with stories, messages and campaigns, compelling us to “bring back our girls” captured by notorious Boko Haram Muslim insurgents in Nigeria. In equal measure, we are all called upon in our own ways to join the movement to reverse the sentencing to death of pregnant Sudanese woman, Meriam Ibrahim, accused of apostasy.
As if this were not enough, we now have to contend with the arrest of six Iranian citizens, among them two women, whose intolerable crime is that of spreading happiness by making their version of Pharell Williams “Happy” song.
The campaign #freehappyiranians has been trending on social media this week. Amongst the charges cited for these individuals, is the fact that men and women were socialising together and that the women had their hair uncovered, thus flouting Sharia law and social norms.
Meanwhile, in our own backyard, just as we have seemingly recovered from the Pastor Gumbura and his harem saga, we are reeling with news of a grandmother’s exploits which have unleashed the wrath of Zimbabwean society after she gave away her 14-year-old granddaughter to a 47-year-old man who raped and infected her with HIV.
These stories and countless others that have happened before and continue to occur in our society, give one pause for reflection as to the future of our children. In a world so technologically advanced, it is ironic that we live in the information and knowledge era, yet our actions seem to be so base and ignorant. In addition, with everything we are now able to do ‘‘at the touch of a button’’, we are unable to harness our technology to work for us as a preventative device, and even worse, to bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity such as Boko Haram to book. Given the plethora of issues that women are facing especially in today’s world which seems even more unresponsive to our needs, I found myself in a furious discussion with a group of friends who in our mutual frustration, pondered whether the solution was for us to banish men from our lives until such a time as they learnt to behave and treat us like human beings.
The arguments presented clearly pointed out that women who are both victims and survivors (although some are perpetrators) of these outrages, have to become more resourceful in protecting themselves and their own.
We toyed with this idea for a bit, and it was in that moment that I found out a not-so-new-fact, that here in Kenya, a group of women fed up with taking nonsense from men, formed their own village.
Whilst this may seem like a piece of fiction (and for a while I must admit I thought it was), it is actually true that these women stood for themselves to get away from all forms of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by their male counterparts to form what is now known as Umoja village.
Umoja, which means unity in English, is a village located near the Sambura National Reserve in Kenya.
It came about in 1990, when 15 women led by Rebecca Lolosoli formed and registered the Umoja Uaso Women’s Group with the then Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Social Services. They later transformed and found their own village after threats from men who were jealous of their success in selling bead-work and other goods with a distinct Kenyan trademark. Today, Umoja village has a pre-school that enrols 60 children also from surrounding villages. It is an international brand, which sells their products in international markets, and which has captured the interest and support of the Half the Sky Movement, inspired by journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book of the same name.
By harnessing the power of video, websites, games, blogs and other educational tools, this movement seeks to raise awareness on women’s issues and provide tangible steps to fight the challenges faced by women and to empower them.
It is also known as the place where men are not welcome and are indeed not allowed to enter, except with express permission to render such services as those deemed necessary.
Now while all this was fascinating talk unravelled way into the night, I could not help but wonder and imagine the practicality of it all.
Of course in moments of extreme frustration, such as the one I was sharing with my girlfriends, the idea was extremely enticing. However, when I got back home, I started to engage with the issue on a more personal level, asking myself if I could give up my childhood fantasy of a man whose chivalry would woo me to the altar or if I could seek a man for procreation only but give up the need for cuddling every night.
As a Christian woman, am I willing to part ways with the God-given roadmap of marriage?
In a perfect world, peace of mind and self-sustenance can go a long way, but I could not help but grapple with whether economic independence for women was enough. Clearly it is important, but would I have meaning and substance where men and women lived separate lives?
Clearly, this is a subject for much thought and debate. I do not pretend to be well travelled in the corridors of gender equality and/or feminism as to provide answers. I leave that to you the experts.
Send me your thoughts on [email protected].
