The result of the African woman’s silence is a loss of a millennia years of stories, fables, experiences; a loss of a portion of the African history. There are many reasons why African women writers have fallen short over the years. For one, African women always had their education over looked. This was common in most families in rural parts of the continent where families tended to invest in the education of their sons.
African Women Were the Oral Story Tellers
Women were actively involved in the communal story telling; ensuring that future generations held onto the importance of their past and its own unique history. The story telling ensured that the next generations held onto moral principles and learned the ways of tradition. As people moved into the city setting, the story telling traditions waned. With the lack of education of the story tellers, some of the stories faded into the silence of time. Not only were women keepers of traditional history and stories, but women also had an undocumented unique perspective on occurrences in events.
African Men Writers Historically More Accepted
Historically, men writers told the stories that relate to events of historical significances; stories of colonialization, stories of civil unrest and stories of the struggles of everyday life. These more well known African male writers focused their early writings on the political problems associated with the effects of colonialization and globalization. The early era of African writers produced well recognized writers like Wole Soyinka, Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Chinua Achebe.
African Women Writers Overcoming the Odds
Back in the late 60s and early 70s as African Universities sprouted up on the continent and the importance of the African Culture was revitalized; oral tradition started making a comeback. Not at the hands those who spun the tales but at the pen of male counterparts who had taken up the literal aspect of preserving the culture. Women at the time continued to struggle, juggling the demands of family and work with the importance of oral tradition; no longer a high priority. There were however a few African women writers who took up the challenge. Some were barely recognized outside their own markets and many of whom were self published.
Bessie Head Writer from Botswana
There are early African women writers like Bessie Head. Head an award winning South African born Novelist was able to transcend the female stereotype and leave her mark. Her book “When Rain Clouds Gather” made it onto English class reading lists in the West world. The novel tells the story of a young man exiled to Botswana which incidentally parallels Head’s life. The novel touches on many different topics ultimately showing the conflicting effects of religion and wealth.
Flora Nwapa African Woman Writer From Nigeria
Another early era African writer was Flora Nwapa; a self-published Nigerian novelist. Her novel “Efuru” was the first novel written and published by a Nigerian woman. The book has been embraced by the western world as a feminist tale, touching on the controversial topic of female genital cutting. The novel is set during the intersection of traditional beliefs and attitudes with the western colonialization of Africa given by the female perspective.
Writers Must Transcribe Writing for Western Audience
The problems these early African women writers faced are still the same problems modern day writers have to deal with; being taken seriously and getting their books into the hands of readers. The problem has not been finding legitimate stories but finding writers that are able to write in prose that readers in the west can appreciate. Micere Mugo, a Kenyan playwright hit the nail on the head when she noted that more established writers should be willing to step up and transcribe some of the writing for those wanting to share their incredible stories.
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a Modern Day Success Tale
“Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust” is a powerful tale of the Rwandan genocide that occurred in 1994. In her story Immaculée offers a unique perspective of the horrors that the Tutsis experienced. Immaculée was able to tell a tale that should have been filled with violence; instead she weaved a story of the power of forgiveness. Her story offers a story of love, strength and religion. Immaculée has also co-written another book based on the experiences of eight young visionaries from Rwanda. The book titled “Our Lady of Kibeho” tells a story of how the Marian apparition was instrumental in her own journey.
The time of uneducated African women is in the past with modern women matching their strides with their male counterparts. In this new generation of African women writers lies the task of being modern communicators to tell the untold stories of the generations past, present and future.
