African Women - The Driving Force Behind Africa's Future

by Mark Devin Professional and enthusiastic content writer

As the effects of COVID-19 have affected the world in ways we could never have imagined, everything around us has begun to change. Communities, societies, and countries have been reshaped, the social and political systems restructured, and an influx of new norms created. Sadly, the pandemic revealed many inequalities in African countries, especially for women who were often already at a disadvantage. Yet over the last two years, it was often women who took the leading role in ensuring the safety of their communities.

 

Despite coming so far with medical and technological advancements, many countries were rendered helpless during the COVID-19 crisis. On the other hand, women in countries like those in Africa that had experienced the spread of dangerous infection diseases in the past, knew exactly what to do to ensure their survival during this period.

 

Many people predicted that African countries would go through devastating impacts during the pandemic due to the lack of proper economic systems and fragile healthcare systems. The lack of employment opportunities in African countries would also further impact the situation. In fact, according to the statistics provided by the Brookings, the increase in poverty brought created more violence against women and girls, with more than 70% facing insecurity at their workplaces.

 

Many organizations are working with female-run initiatives in Africa to improve the conditions of African communities - transforming the fragility and complexities of the continent through efficient recovery plans and long-term strategies. Empowers Africa is one such organization that has been making a significant difference in its approach to empowering African countries, and in particular the empowerment of women.

 

As an American public charity, Empowers Africa supports programs in the areas of human empowerment, wildlife protection and land conservation in Africa. The establishment was founded by 20 female trustees. The Chair of the Board, Krista Krieger, stated, "We are a group of women supporting programs that focus on human empowerment, land conservation, and wildlife protection."

 

For years Empowers Africa has supported community-led, measurable, sustainable programs that bolster communities by enhancing access to education, healthcare, and business opportunities. Additionally, they are an organization that has understood the value of female empowerment, which is why they have had much to say on the matter. Empowers Africa believes that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was often the women who were the caregivers and transformers for their communities - who truly made a difference in Africa's crippling social and economic conditions. Historically, whenever there has been any kind of emergency in Africa, it is often the women that traditionally stood up to play the role of volunteers, community health workers, and caregivers who work relentlessly to keep their communities safe.

 

During COVID-19, these very women took on these roles to quickly save lives either as leaders devoted to providing healthcare, feeding programs, and even protecting their family within their homes. A prime example is the various women who volunteered during the pandemic to run feeding programs to feed children and the elderly while schools were closed. Schools often provided meals for students and many children went without food while schools remained closed. Empowers Africa works with several feeding programs run by volunteer women in Africa to feed hundreds of people during the pandemic. Another example is the all-female run garden businesses that provide vital food relief to communities during the pandemic. Additionally, activist women across Africa have been calling and organizing meetings with governments to establish a more solid solution that could offer Africa more resilience for future crises.

 

Another factor that has hindered the development of Africa is its lack of access to affordable healthcare. This exclusion has come with its economic and social costs to individuals and communities, and yet women have continued to remain underserved, and their rights to healthcare is not on level with women in Western countries. The pandemic has properly demonstrated that when it comes to the healthcare systems, rural clinics are critical particularly during a pandemic when illness is more prevalent. These rural health clinics are often entirely run by women, many of whom are volunteers. Due to their central role as the leaders of rural healthcare, women are leading the call for health workers to be given a fair wage and safe working conditions where they can deliver proper healthcare.

 

Despite the many equalities that African women often face, they lead the way for their families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic by feeding children, caring for their families, and providing vital healthcare for their community members. 

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Created on Jun 9th 2022 14:11. Viewed 249 times.

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