Women have always been part of Africa’s liberation movements and they should continue to be involved in movements.
This is according to Africans Rising, a Pan-African liberation movement for justice, peace and dignity.
The organisation urged women to keep organising themselves at the grassroots and the higher levels of society to fight for the liberation of African people.
During a Dialogue on feminist organising and women in the civic struggles of the African Continent held on Sunday in Nairobi, Ruth Nyambura, from the Africa Eco-feminist Collective, said that women are not new to liberation.
“Women have been organising themselves for liberation since time immemorial. Even now, women are organising themselves in women’s table-banking groups commonly know as Chamas to fight for financial independence,” she said.
Nyambura said that women are still central to the inclusive, fair, equitable and prosperous society and for that, African women will need to work together.
“Collaborations between feminists from across the continent are very vital, especially in supporting each other’s movements in our individual countries,” she said.
She said that solidarity is collective work and not individual work.
“We are each other’s harvest, business, magnitude and bond. Our humanity and our liberation are tied together. Either we fail collectively in the Titanic or we dismantle the iceberg and stop floating around the ocean,” she explained.
Coumba Toure, a coordinator at Africans Rising said that solidarity includes giving to the many movements working for liberation in Africa.
“Giving to our movements and being in solidarity with each other is very vital and that is why this dialogue today was also a fundraising event because we want to make sure that it is African people who give to other Africans and African movements,” she said.
Toure said that their biggest goal is to get at least one Million Africans who are able to give at least one dollar a month for movements to fight for change, dignity and peace in Africa.
She said that women’s roles in liberation movements are vast and varying, from mobilising at the grassroots to fighting in leadership positions and their impact needs to be recognised.
“Women in the grassroots are actually doing a lot of organising all on their own, fighting for peace, justice and dignity at that level. As Africans rising, our job is to listen to them and give them visibility so all of Africa knows what they are doing and support them any way we can,” she said.