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When will women be female-sensitive?
2005-06-22 09:48:56
By Deogratias Mushi
Gender, gender! That is a common word among women, especially those interested in opening up non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Such words are invented to balance the world, which gender sensitive people say is largely dominated by men (Male!).
For any Human Rights activist (like myself), a need for such advocates is vital, because they act as watchdogs, so as to make sure that nobody, either male or female is humiliated or discriminated in any way.
In Tanzania, we have gender-sensitive NGOs, which have struggled, specifically to make sure that dignity of a woman is protected and upheld.
Organizations like Tanzania Media Women Association (TAMWA), Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) and Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) have played key roles in uplifting women living conditions.
The fact that we read, and hear a lot about what such NGOs are doing, does not always reflect the truth of what is happening in our neighbourhoods.
There is a lot of injustice being committed by women to their fellow women in Society, and the following example will elaborate what I mean.
While at Ubungo Central bus station last Saturday, I met a young girl from my village, who was travelling back home, after her employer, who is a city-based businesswoman mistreated her.
The young girl, (let us call her Saumu) had been brought to work as a house girl for this woman five months ago, but because she mistreated her, she decided to escape and return back to the village.
Saumu told me that her salary was 10,000/- a month, but since she came to the city, she had just been paid only 10,000/-. What was happening to her 40,000/- nobody knows other than the same employer.
The young girl who is now 16 said she was also experiencing some humiliations from her boss, like harsh words. ``Even food was a problem, and I always slept on the floor`` she told me.
In short, the young girl was completely disappointed by city life, and she was now ready to lived village life instead of being denied her basic rights. To her, life in the village was much better than the life in urban areas.
Saumu is not the only girl that has suffered humiliation from her female boss. There are hundreds others in our neighbourhoods, who cannot dare lift up their voices and complain.
Interesting question to ask ourselves at this juncture is. Do we have organizations formed specifically to look after the rights of female house servants, famously known as house girls?
Who really looks after the rights of these workers, whose role in each family is immense? Does our society see the need to train house girls, so that they become aware of their daily responsibilities?
It is useless having passive women NGOs whose aim is to fight for equal rights with men, while in fact there is unfilled gap between them. Shouldn’t we in fact go back and see where we have erred?
House girls are not the only ones suffering humiliation from their bosses but in various places of work, clear discrimination among women is evident.
There is jealousy when one woman is to be elevated to a higher post.
Recently we have read and heard women raising their voices, saying that it is time that they occupy top posts like presidency.
Why not! If there is anyone of them with qualities, the constitution does not bar anybody from contesting.
Topical issues among female-enhanced NGOs have been fight against female genital mutilation (FGM), rape, ignorance and related topics.
These NGOS have not spoken boldly against discrimination of women by their fellow women.
For example do women-run NGOS speak something against women who break marriages of their friends (Some even purposely?- Examples are there).
What we need to see today is a fair society, where nobody is discriminated or humiliated in anyway.
Having female-sensitive NGOs, whose agenda should be to fight against women rights among themselves from the grassroots would be a grand idea.
deomushi@guardian.co.tz
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