AAS 17 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Buchi Emecheta, Premarital Sex, Female Genital Mutilation
30 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
3/12/18
Liberia
• West Africa
• Civil war from 1989-1995, 2000-2003
o Film, Pray the Devil to Hell, concentrates on the war from 2000-2003.
• President Charles Taylor led unsuccessful fight against various rebel groups.
o Name of the film comes from a saying about Charles Taylor.
• Widespread use of child soldiers.
• Many atrocities against civilians.
• High levels of sexual violence against women and girls.
• Could never tell who was a soldier or not.
• Woe’s Peae Netork i Liberia (WIPNET) led movement to end war.
Liberian Women After the War
• Afria’s st feale presidet eleted i 5 after ar’s ed.
• Ma oe’s assoiatio fouded after the ed of the ar i .
• New discourses by and about women.
• Leymagh Gbowee and Ellen Sirleaf Johnson (winner Nobel Peace Prize 2011).
• Divisions among Liberian women.
o Christian/Muslim women
o Rich/poor women
o Defenders of Sande/Opponents of Sande
▪ A traditioal oe’s oeet through hih oe hae eerised soe
authority and control.
▪ Sande is also in charge of FGC.
▪ Sande is powerful in Liberia.
▪ Poorer women became strong defenders of Sande while wealthier women
became opponents.
▪ In a country where a small group of women are educated, more women were in
the Sande group.
▪ Ellen Sirleaf Johnson personally opposed Sande but needed their vote to
become president. “he did’t touh a of the oe’s hot topis suh as FGC
and polygyny, until her last day in office where she banned FGC for a year.
• Few changes to longstanding challenges facing women after the war.
Priorities?
• Abolishing polygamy
• Electing female president
• Providing free high school education for all girls
• Granting women easier access to bank loans
• Legalizing abortion
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
In a country where a small group of women are educated, more women were in the sande group: ellen sirleaf johnson personally opposed sande but needed their vote to become president. He did(cid:374)"t tou(cid:272)h a(cid:374)(cid:455) of the (cid:449)o(cid:373)e(cid:374)"s hot topi(cid:272)s su(cid:272)h as fgc and polygyny, until her last day in office where she banned fgc for a year: few changes to longstanding challenges facing women after the war. Priorities: abolishing polygamy, electing female president, providing free high school education for all girls, granting women easier access to bank loans. Legalizing abortion: making birth control affordable and easily accessible, passing laws against sexual harassment, passing laws against female genital cutting. What do women want: areas of agreement, political rights, economic opportunities, areas of disagreement, sexual, reproductive and family rights, abortion, premarital sex, widespread access to birth control, fgc, polygyny. Inheritance as wives or sisters: defining womanliness.
