Afrique Life - October 2008
By Terza S. Lima-Neves
While United States citizens ask themselves whether the country is ready for a black or female president, Rwandan citizens have set a world record by giving women 44 parliamentary seats. During the elections on September 16, women received a whopping 56.25 percent of the parliamentary seats. This has never happened on the African continent or the world. Although some of the worlds’ poorest nations are on the African continent, the level of women’s representation in governments is higher than in many wealthier countries, such as the United States, Japan, and France. We can find women in positions of significant leadership in Rwanda, Uganda and Cape Verde, for example.
“The rise of women in government is largely attributed to women themselves, president Kagame’s initiatives and the absence of men. Women outnumber men 7 to 1, as a result of years of ethnic conflict.”
In 2003, the people of Rwanda elected 39 women parliamentarians who became part of the 50-member chamber of deputies. Rwanda’s government answered the call of the United Nations in 2003, when it set a target and challenged nations to implement 30 percent of female representation in their parliaments. During the 1980s and 1990s the United Nations held conferences on the status of women in the world. It encouraged states to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as a means to combat poverty, hunger, and stimulate development. Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan stated, “there is no effective development strategy in which women do not play a central role…families are healthier and better fed and their income, savings and investments go up.” Rwanda’s constitution adapted this policy and implemented several initiatives to empower women through educational and business skills. Vision 2020 is one of these initiatives with the objective of transforming the country’s economy to a knowledge based one. As a result, female literacy has risen from 10 percent to more than 50 percent in the last 14 years. In that same year, Rwandan women won 15 seats, in addition to the regular 24 reserved seats. In 2007, Rwanda’s economy grew by 6 percent.
Rwanda: History and Society
In order to appreciate the nature of this milestone accomplishment, we must first understand the history of this nation. Rwanda is widely known for the Hutu/Tutsi ethnic conflict, leading to the horrific genocide in 1994. It is a small nation in East Africa, surrounded by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Tanzania. As an agriculturally based society, Rwanda is the home of roughly 10 million people which make up the densest population on the African continent. It has been an independent state since July 1, 1962 (previously under Belgium rule).
Three years prior to independence, the Hutu majority ethnic group overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. As a result, thousands of Tutsis were killed and more than 100,000 were driven from the country into exile in nearby states. Members of the exiled population formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RFP) which led to a civil war in 1990 and continued ethnic, political and economic tensions. This culminated in the genocide of 1994, during which, one million or more mostly Tutsis and Hutus were killed. Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the genocide in 1994. Two million refugees fled the country in fear of retaliation. Although most have returned to Rwanda, others remained in the DRC and formed an extremist group attempting to take Rwanda Back.
Rwanda’s first local elections since the genocide were held in 1999 and the first presidential and legislative elections were subsequently held in 2003. President Paul Kagame has been praised for several initiatives in improving the economic state of Rwanda, but critiqued for militant views and intolerance to opposition. The government continues to struggle to bring economic development and political stability to its society. However, ethnic reconciliation seems to complicate matters. The newly approved constitution instituted a balance of political power between the Hutus and the Tutsis. No party can hold more than half the seats in parliament.
“When women alone fight for equal opportunity it does not work. However, when the government supports this struggle through constitutional changes, it shows a commitment for long term success.”
Women in Rwanda
Rwandan women have to confront issues related to fair laws in regards to marriage, children, divorce, as well as financial support, i.e. loans for women to start businesses. A major battle was won in 1999, when the constitution was ratified, giving women the right to own and inherit family property. The rise of women in government is largely attributed to women themselves, president Kagame’s initiatives and the absence of men. Women outnumber men 7 to 1, as a result of years of ethnic conflict.
Women want to be leaders but still have to deal with family responsibilities and gender stereotypes stemming from traditional and cultural norms. Domestic violence is still prevalent in its society and maternal mortality rate is one of the highest among Africa’s nations. Moreover, AIDS continues to deeply affect the population. The country is plagued by the consequences of years of war. Women continue to cope with rape and physical violence as well as trauma due to witnessing of murders of family members. Female community leaders and politicians realize that gender development and balancing should be tackled by men as well. Thus, they encourage group workshops to address the concerns of men.
The Rwandan government and leadership realize they must encourage policies towards the advancement of women’s status. When women alone fight for equal opportunity it does not work. However, when the government supports this struggle through constitutional changes, it shows a commitment for long term success. Critics are still wondering if these women are just there to fill seats or to make substantial change by performing and implementing laws which will lead to change not only in gender equality but society as a whole. All in all, one must recognize that this accomplishment is a major step towards Rwanda’s development and sets a standard for the world.
By Robert Kosi Tette
“I want to be just like you. You are from uptown, aren’t you?” the young man asked in the local slang with an exuberant smile oblivious of the scorching tropical sun. Selling bags of onions at the roadside, his extra-large T shirt and drooping jeans were a testament to the ubiquitous influence of American pop culture in Africa. I had accepted a seat at his onion stand to take a break before concluding business in Accra that afternoon. Between brisk sales serving customers stuck in traffic, he asked incessant questions about life in America, convinced that having a visa to the United States was like winning the lottery.
How could I tell him that I envied his simple life and blissful innocence when I was guilty of the silent culture that had helped to perpetuate a false image of Africans living abroad? Outwardly, I looked like the poster boy for success visiting from the United States. My white designer shirt and matching pants were straight from the mega malls in Detroit, where I worked as an engineer. Inwardly, I was caught in a web of ambition and cultural disenchantment. My attire suggested affluence, yet I could not afford the numerous requests for money or to make gifts of my belongings.
“Back home in Ghana, I am the epitome of success. But life in America hasn’t always been easy.”
Uncles and aunties who were prepared to mortgage their homes to help me leave 10 years ago now expected me to finance cousins hoping to make the same move to the United States.
After two weeks in Ghana, the excitement of my homecoming had waned. I was broke and looking forward to returning to the States. This time, though, it would be without the naiveté that had fueled my ambitious departure. Back then, the thought of someday resettling in Ghana afforded me unusual endurance. Now I face the challenges of life in America with a greater sense of permanency.
America had fulfilled my ambition for furthering my education and professional experience. I had arrived with the equivalent of a high-school diploma, and after 10 years, I hold a graduate degree and have a relatively successful professional career. Every inch of progress, however, had been achieved through exhausting battles. My college education had been financed partly through working multiple minimum-wage jobs. I was fortunate to secure a job upon graduation, but adjusting to corporate culture exacted another toll. Initially, I found myself putting in twice the effort just to keep up.
I learned to feign assertiveness after realizing that I would not be taken seriously otherwise. Scared by a wave of layoffs, I went to graduate school part time because it was the only way I knew that afforded me an edge in job security. By the time I became eligible to apply for citizenship, I had spent a small fortune in legal fees and endured stressful years grappling with the complexities of securing permanent residency in America.
“Part of me wanted to settle permanently in America and put closure to the direction my life was heading. Another part still longed for the uncomplicated life I once knew in Ghana”
It was as though I had run 10 consecutive marathons, one for each year abroad, and my body screamed for rest. My trip home was in anticipation of a respite, but instead, I felt as though I were drowning in a melting pot of cultures. Part of me wanted to settle permanently in America and put closure to the direction my life was heading. Another part still longed for the uncomplicated life I once knew in Ghana—despite the illusive price of acceptance. Most of us leaving home never considered how much we would change or the scarring challenges ahead of us. I could still remember a time when my thinking was no different than the onion seller’s. Someone had seen beyond that and given me a chance to come to America, so I still felt compelled to give something back.
Perhaps I should have been asking myself if I really wanted to trade places with the onion seller. Deep down I knew my answer was no. Enlightenment had come with the loss of innocence and a silent struggle. My cultural dichotomy was no different from what other immigrants from other cultures faced in America. I could stop dwelling on being torn between two countries by accepting my new identity as a progressive blend of the two and embrace its new responsibilities.
The strange irony was that I could learn from the onion seller and approach life with cheer despite its trials. If I paced myself and continued to work diligently, I just might enjoy my marathon life in America while providing something worthy for loved ones in Ghana. That is probably the missing ingredient separating a life of disenchantment and frustration from one that is engaging and fulfilling.
By Afrique Staff
Kudos to Selena Cuffe, a black Los Angeles native for having founded Heritage Link Brands, LLC, an international wine importation company that imports premier African wines to the United States. Wines from South Africa, a country that African Americans helped to liberate from its racist apartheid past are especially prized by Heritage Link Brand’s customers. Selena Cuffe was very young during the divestment protests against South Africa in the 1980’s, yet the vague memories she had of those protests must have compelled her on a subconscious level to one day get involved. Lo and behold as an adult, Selena decided to do something about it. She started by graduating from Stamford University and then Harvard Business School. While pursuing her MBA at Harvard, one professor explained to her the nature of social justice and entrepreneurship using the South African example as a case in point. That conversation turned out to be, she thinks in retrospect, as a catalyst to the founding of Heritage Link Brand.
During a business trip to South Africa when she worked for a private corporation, Selena met an impressive Black South African wine industry executive by the name of Vivian Kleynhans. She encouraged Selena to delve into the multi-billion dollar South African wine industry; an industry that lacks a significant presence of blacks.
Shortly thereafter, Selena and her husband, Kharry founded Heritage Link Brand, LLC, in 2005. Heritage’s wines are now sold at Jewel-Osco stores and other Chicago wine shops. In addition, Mrs. Cuffe told Afrique via a phone interview that the Heritage Link wine’s story has been published on PBS, TIME, Go English, and Inc. Magazines. This proves indeed that which may be thought of as impossible can very much become reality. The Cuffs’ example is a very real case in point.
Heritage Link Brand’s website is www.heritagelinkbrands.com
Press Release
Reggae Icon Cocoa Tea Releases Follow Up To International Hit, “Barack Obama”, Launches Exclusive Website.
Zojak World Wide is pleased to announce that just a few months after recording the international hit, “Barack Obama”, Jamaican roots reggae star Cocoa Tea is in the spotlight again with his follow up single, “Yes We Can”. “Barak Obama”, which has been circulating for months on the radio, among reggae fans young and old as well as casual music fans around the globe, is praised for its participatory message and catchy melody. “Yes We Can” is Cocoa Tea’s brand new, non-partisan follow up calling for unity between people of all political affiliations, races and classes. In cooperation with Zojak Worldwide, the leader in digital distribution, Cocoa Tea is making both tracks available for sale exclusively via the new website, www.cocoateabarackobama.com. The new album will be released November 4th, the same day as the presidential elections in the United States.
“Yes We Can” is Cocoa Tea’s response to “Barak Obama”. A rootsy, non-partisan appeal for all classes, colors, races and creeds to come together, “Yes We Can” is a roadmap for people to unite across party lines, racial divide and international boundaries, despite personal differences.
Cocoa Tea sings, “Yes we can/Don’t let them tell us that we can’t… Democrats and Republicans let me hear you say yes we can, yes we can…” Cocoa Tea says “Barack Obama” and “Yes We Can” are significant in part because they reflect a remarkable mix of popular culture and international citizenship. When asked why anyone should be interested in what a Jamaican reggae artist has to say about American or international politics, Cocoa Tea answers,
“Because of the message, it implies things about decisions being made in Washington, DC which affect people of the whole world. We know the USA is the greatest superpower so somewhere along the line we know what happens in Washington, DC will affect the world.”
“This is not about class nor color, race nor creed,” Cocoa Tea sings on “Barak Obama”. “Make no mistake it’s about the changes all the people them need.” The song “Barack Obama” has struck a chord around the world and created a new generation of Cocoa Tea admirers while television appearances on CNN and FOX News as well as interviews with the BBC, the New York Times and New York Post have cemented Cocoa Tea’s place in international popular culture. “I been to Europe, Caribbean and America,” says Cocoa Tea. “The response has been the same - overwhelming. People who don’t like Barack Obama [the candidate] like the tune, is a tune people love. I was surprised because in Europe people responded like it was a European tune.
” Both “Yes We Can” and “Barak Obama” will be featured on the upcoming Cocoa Tea album release from Zojak World Wide, scheduled for release on November 4, 2008, the same day as the US presidential election.
