Feminism in a Land where that's not a Word

I am one of the lucky generations of American girls turned women in a world where it was expected I go to college, I get a good job, I live a self-sustaining life of non-dependency on a man until I choose to partner with one and then when we make the decision together to have children, I would have maternity leave and flexibility in how and where to raise our children. It all seemed so natural.

My mother’s generation was close to it. 

My grandmother’s generation? 

Forget it. 

But - aside from singing along and throwing my hands up in the air with Destiny’s Child at the age of 16 - it wasn’t until university that I discovered that feminism was even really a thing. Perhaps this late blooming of my own ideas feminism was product of a sheltered upbringing, though more likely it was the lack of necessity. 

As an adult, I have spent my fair share of time in countries and cultures where being a female is a disadvantage at best. The vastly different take on gender roles and opportunities available to women in these areas has shifted my perspective of my place in the world as a woman and my posture in life relative to the women around me. 

I did not grow up cooking much, I have learned what I know of making meals from time spent sitting in kitchens with women in West Africa, India and Mexico. In many of the rural areas these places have to offer, if you don’t want to be the only female hanging out in the sitting room or in the office, you go to where the women are – in the kitchen. What an honour to be able to sit and laugh, head scarves off, restraint ebbed and free of social norms dictating every word and movement. 

All this background blabber brings me to my point – or, if I do not have a point, it brings me to the most recent social issue that has been churning in my mind and heart. As a young female base manager in a small village which has not seen many women with authority over men, where being told “you work like a man” is a high complement, were eight months ago I did not see any women wearing pants or driving motor bikes, etc... 

I stick out for more reasons than my skin and thickly accented French. 

In a balancing act between the extremes of enforcing my cultural ideals on people and making space for gender equality in our workplace I have slowly been feeling my way through the culture and how an independent woman such as myself can influence the community here in a positive way without being a home wrecker. 

You have already met Charlotte, but she is an easier case, being young, unmarried and from a family who valued education for all of their children regardless of gender (she is doing great by the way). Now lets take the mamans in the kitchen, for an example. Maman Suzanne just had a little baby a few months ago.When we were looking for her replacement for maternity leave, one of my (male) staff members made a comment, something to the tune of, “This is why it is not good to hire women, they get pregnant. Do you see the women in the kitchen? They are all pregnant. We should hire old women or young single girls only. It is not good to hire women.” 

I got to thinking about women’s rights more so than usual. Discriminating against hiring women because they have a fertile womb sucks. Not that is not perfect Stateside, but at least has been identified as an issue that needs addressing. Aside from the recent introduction of condoms (since Medair's arrival), there is no birth control available and of what is, usage is the man's choice. Then, what to do with the baby while she works? There is no baby formula available here, you cannot leave a young child in the care of anyone but their mother. So, now there is someone right outside the base who takes care of the baby until it cries then Suzanne goes out and feeds him.



Will Ango's next generation of girls see and feel a difference?
Will their rights and opportunities shift as I have seen mine shift from what my mother and her mother have known?






We are working around all our ideals and needs, which are far from compatible in the environment here. But you talk it out, you make it work, you see how it goes and readjust where necessary. 

Ango is a land where your ideals detach from your reason and float around as you watch them from all angles - sometimes with scrutiny, sometimes in awe and sometimes feeling just as detached from said ideal as it has become from the reason and logic you thought it was born from. 

How did I come to that particular ideal? 

When did I decided that was important? 

On what basis did I ground that
world view? 

What now?