The centrality of women in the moral teachings in African society
Abstract
This paper is about the contribution of women to the moral health and uprightness of African
society. It begins with a discussion of the role of women as moral teachers in African families
and underscores the centrality of women in the moral upbringing of children. As part of their
traditional care-giving roles, African women have been in a unique and strategic position not only
to produce and sustain life but also to instill socio-religious values and moral standards in the
family and society. This moral education includes teaching children personal discipline, how to
uphold sexual morality, what is expected of them at various stages of their lives as well as the
moral requirements of chastity, marital fidelity and family responsibilities for men, women and
children.
The discussion next turns to an explanation of the role of women in religion and takes up the
twin issues of the role and position of women in African Christian churches and their contribution
to community worship life. It is argued that through their healing ministry and pastoral
infrastructure, a great number of women in Africa play a key role in bringing love to the
continent and a sense of hope and optimism to those who live in despair. This role is closely
linked to their involvement in various peace processes and efforts at conflict resolution in and
outside Africa, particularly in strife-torn regions of the continent. The author presents some of the
subtle and explicit ways in which the dominant male ideology has consistently used female
sexuality to reinforce female subordination and devalue women's moral role in African society.
The last part of the paper deals with the issues of moral delocalization, social change and
modernization in Africa, and how these processes have re-defined the role of women and the
overall moral character of African societies. The conclusion stresses that both the empowerment
of women and re-assessment of traditional family values and moral standards must be addressed
if the moral health of African societies is to be improved.
URI
http://www.njas.helsinki.fi/pdf-files/vol5num2/suda.pdfhttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/38497
Citation
Nordic Journal of African Studies 5(2): 71-82 (1996)Publisher
Institute Of Anthropology, Gender And African Studies, University of Nairobi