In Nigeria, women on average are caring for five children. Their average daily income for those who have it at all is $0.29. 69% of the female population is illiterate. Women have very few opportunities for jobs and careers outside of family life in the first place, and their lack of basic education only furthers that problem instead of ameliorating it. Their lack of education is only worsened by the lack of healthcare available to them. Because of the very few doctors and healthcare facilities, the healthcare that does exist is made more expensive. It is far away, hard to get to, extremely expensive, and on top of that it is limited in its scope. In Things Fall Apart, Ekwefi was forced to utilize local, limited medicine when Ezinma was constantly ill. Modern women face the same problems- chronically sick children's life expectancy is extremely low due to the lack of consistent, substantial healthcare.
Another struggle Nigerian women face is that the discriminatory practices that have been historically overarching across cultures and countries are made worse for African women. The presence of extremist/terrorist groups in Nigeria worsens the situation further by instilling religious values that are of detriment to women. Boko Haram is an Islamist extremist group which has been named terroristic in nature by the UK. They are currently infiltrating and taking positions of power in the Nigerian Government and are making attempts to initiate the practice of sharia law (Islamist law) in the Nigerian government. This is extremely dangerous for women, as Islamist institution in government is one of the most sexism-based in the world.
The rates of domestic violence in Nigeria are staggering, as more than two thirds of Nigerian women are believed to have been sexually and/or physically abused. It is not only the religious beliefs of some that supposedly justify abuse, but the patriarchal societal stances that the tribes have had for hundreds of years. Domestic violence is not against the law, nor is it looked down upon in general society. Incidences such as when Okonkwo beat his wife for not cooking him dinner and leaving to braid her hair instead is not uncommon. Stephanie Mikala, from Amnesty International, stated, "On a daily basis, Nigerian women are beaten, raped and even murdered by members of their family for supposed transgressions, which can range from not having meals ready on time to visiting family members without their husband's permission." When the abuse is consistent, some women may choose to leave (in today's society; women leaving husbands did not happen during the time period of the novel) but many do not because they do not receive the support of the law. Many others would not leave for fear of facing shame and verbal abuse for existing outside the bounds of marriage.
As women of Western society, it is very difficult for us to recognize and empathize with the difficulties that these women endure on a daily basis. We live in a society that, by comparison, affords us so many opportunities and freedoms that these women do not have. We do not live in a world where murder is considered just punishment for not cooking dinner on time. Women such as Ekwefi and Okonkwo's other two wives are representative of Nigerian women today, and it speaks to the stagnant nature of society that they have to live this way while we enjoy the luxuries and opportunities of western society. Groups such as Women and Child Watch Initiative (WOCWI) and Business and Professional Women (BPW) are dedicated to bettering the lives of the women of Nigeria. They work tirelessly to get the word out about these women, and in the words of Elie Wiesel, acclaimed author of Night and Holocaust survivor, "I swore never to be silent wherever and whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation... Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence helps the tormentor, never the tormented."
Beautifully written blog Maddie! Awesome.
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