African Women: The Necessity of Struggle
"The total liberation and unification of African under an All
African Socialist Government must be the primary objective of all Black
revolutionaries through out the world. It is an objective which when
achieved, will bring about the fulfillment of the aspirations of
Africans and people of African descent everywhere. It will at the same
time advance the triumph of the international, socialist revolution."
-Kwame Nkrumah
"The freedom and development of the African woman are indispensable to
the freedom and emancipation of the African people"
Ahmed Sekou Toure
Myths are stories which, however marvelous and improbable to us, are
nevertheless told to explain why something exists or happens.
Unfortunately, myths can program the writing of history. Myths disguise
truth and are potentially destructive, particularly when their legends
become institutionalized. Our task is to help destroy the damaging uses
of myths be destroying the system which created the myths regarding
African women as we attempt to re-educate and search for new formations
and symbols.
The system that created these myths is capitalism. Capitalism is an
economic system by which individuals (the owners of the top corporations
in the world) are allowed to deny the masses of workers and unemployed
an equitable share in the wealth of the world, thereby denying the
masses basic necessities (adequate nutrition, clothing, shelter and
education) for living productive lives and thus limiting the productive
capabilities to uplift humanity.
In attempting to analyze the situation of the African woman in America,
one sees many myths. The system of capitalism under which we all live
has attempted by many devious ways to destroy the humanity of African
people since the inception of slavery. This has meant an outrageous
assault on every African man, woman, and child who resides inside and
outside the United States. Unfortunately African men and women have not
understood the forces against them and have accepted negative capitalist
evaluations.
African women face triple oppression all over the world as workers, as
Africans and as women. African women must destroy the myth that in order
for the African man to be strong the African woman must be weak. Both
must be urged to be strong. The African people need strength. Telling
African women to step back is to tell the African people to wait for
liberation from the poor conditions they are living under today. In this
highly industrialized world, every member of the African nation must be
as educationally and technologically developed as possible.
The only way to deal with capitalism, the root of the damaging myths we
speak of, is through organizing ourselves in order to equip ourselves to
destroy capitalism. The All African Women's Revolutionary Union (AAWRU)
was established for the purpose of recruiting African women to work for
their people in the context of an organization fighting for the people.
The AAWRU is the women's wing of the All African People's Revolutionary
Party.
African women must begin to deal with the problems of the African masses
for their problems are one in the same. A revolution that engages the
participation of every man, woman, and child brings about a certain
transformation in that man, woman, and child. It is through struggle for
Pan-Africanism and the liberation of all African people that the African
woman can and will achieve emancipation from her triple oppression.
"Revolution entails not only the willingness to lay our lives on the
firing line... To die for the revolution is a one-shot deal; to live for
the revolution means taking on the more difficult commitment of changing
our day-to-day patterns. This means changing the traditional routines
that we have established as a result of living in a corrupted society."
(Frances Beale)
The African woman must realize that she has a right and a responsibility
to participate in the struggle for the African people's right to
self-determination. Participation in this struggle is part of the
history of African women, part of the present, and it will be part of
the future.
African women historically have made immeasurable and decisive
contributions to the struggle to liberate Africa despite the advance of
colonialism. In spite of oppressive social contradiction, there are
numerous examples of African women rising to crush the myths and lies of
her incapabilities as she rose to the heights of human capability.
Dr. Anna J. Cooper, born August 10, 1859, led a struggle for the
education of African women in America. An educator, activist, and author
of "A Voice from the South, By an (African) woman of the South," Dr.
Cooper was a speaker and campaigner for Pan-Africanism. She spoke before
the first Pan-African Congress organized by WEB DuBois and Sylvester
Williams in London, 1900.
Yaa Asantewaa of Edweso, Queen Mother of Ashante, in 1900 spurred one of
the most determined resistance movements in African history. With her
personally trained bodyguards she waged guerrilla warfare to seize the
kingdom's traditional Golden Stool from the British. She put all her
funds towards the national struggle, totally committing her life to
freeing her nation from British colonialism.
Azanian/South African Winnie Mandela continuously struggled as a member
of the ANC against the oppressive Apartheid system. In 1963 she was
placed under a banning order for five years. She was held again in 1969
for 491 days and after five months was charged under the Suppression of
Communism Act. She was then tried in 1970 with other members of the ANC
and served five years under house arrest. In 1976 after her release from
detention she stated, "We are gathered here not only to discuss common
problems but also to rediscover ourselves, our dignity, and to instill
in ourselves self-reliance and self-respect." Though pregnant at the
time, she participated in a massive women's anti-pass demonstration. As
a result of her activities with student uprisings in Soweto, Winnie
Mandela was banned to an isolated area outside the country.
We see, through these examples, that incapability does not lie with the
African woman, but with the system which seeks to cripple and confuse
the African masses. African women, like any other oppressed people must
take the initiative in destroying conditions in society that block their
development and the development of the African people as a whole. She
must struggle to correct the backwardness of her fellow sisters who have
not yet accepted their responsibility and the men who maintain backward
tendencies that undermine the development of all Africans. Women must
organize their people to liberate themselves from the vestiges of
capitalism. This is the only solution to the problems currently facing
them. African women in mass must organize to employ the genius of all
African women to move towards the advancement of socialist revolution in
a united Africa. Scientific socialism is the political and economic
system that operates for the good of all humans in society as opposed to
just a select few as we have under capitalism.
Around the world the progressive political organizations and
revolutionary parties are proving this. Assata Shakur is the leader of
the Black Liberation Army that is waging armed struggle in the United
States for socialism. She broke out of the Federal Penitentiary and is
now teaching in Cuba. Mozambican women took up arms alongside their men.
Josina Machel, wife of late President Samora Machel died in struggle.
The women of Zimbabwe under the leadership of the Zimbabwe African
National Union (ZANU) played a key role in their liberation composing
approximately 30% of the liberation forces. "Liberation Through
Participation" was their slogan. Korea, Palestine, Guinea, Angola,
Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Vietnam, Cuba and Ireland have all had women
who made clear their contribution to the socialism revolution with their
blood and have insured their ongoing participation by establishing
women's unions which guarantee their input and the development of
equality between men and women.
The All African Women's Revolutionary Union pledges:
* To develop African women's historical tradition to struggle and
increase her ability to shoulder the revolutionary responsibilities
necessary to forward Pan-Africanism;
* To help develop African children into revolutionaries and to
dedicate the lives, work, skills and all creative energies to the
liberation of African women, African people, and oppressed people around
the world;
* To carry out the above goals with revolutionary discipline, and
consistent ideological and organizational development.
ALL AFRICAN PEOPLES REVOLUTIONARY PARTY Educational Brochure
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