After losing husbands, children and other family members during the Genocide that took the lives of over a million Rwandans, these women, who survived have known profound grief and loss; but are prepared to learn skills that would enable them to become entrepreneurs to stitch together a better life for them, their families and communities.
Why are women being elevated in Rwanda? Why is there a need for them to be elevated? We can’t talk about the status of Black African women without looking at what caused them to be devalued. Pre-colonial, ancient African women were a part of a circular system that respected their role and contribution to their families, their communities, their countries.
However, after colonialism and slavery, women found their role in society had lowered and suffered. Their circular, multi-facet environment had become one dimensional. Colonials taught us how to compete not cooperate, so today we are competitive with one another, instead of corporative. That is why it is vital that today, we, women, define who we are as we elevate. Women are not elevating to compete with men. We could never compete with our African men. They are us and we are them. We are family. Women need to elevate to take their rightful place in their home, which is the planet earth. We are not interested in putting men down so we can rise. We simply want to be able to give to the world what we were put here to give, while taking care of ourselves and our families. Why women? Because without us, the universe will continue to be imbalanced and our future generations will continue to suffer.
“A Nation Can Rise No Higher Than It’s Woman”
Elijah Muhammad
