Tradition vs modernity
December 10, 2009
Bernadette Zida's neat clay house lies at the end of a long, red dusty road in a suburb of Burkina's capital, Ouagadougou. She lives here with her children and grandchildren, and sometimes provides shelter to women in despair.
For many of them, Bernadette is their only means of support. Against all odds, she has managed to create a relatively stable life for herself and now works as an educator. But when she recalls her own past, she has to fight back her tears.
As a young woman, her uncles forced Bernadette into an unwanted marriage. Instead of offering their support, her parents threatened her until she agreed to the wedding. After years of assault and giving birth to four children, Bernadette's husband left her for another woman, taking all of the family possessions with him. Bernadette was left with nothing.
Fighting against traditions
Today, the resilient 45-year-old is a survivor. After a suicide attempt, she managed to leave her misery behind. Now she uses her sad experience to provide refuge for other women. Her own sisters rely on Bernadette's support. One of them had a nervous breakdown and the others, all three victims of forced marriages, cling onto Bernadette as their only hope.
Bernadette and her sisters are just a few examples of thousands of victims being forced into marriages in Burkina Faso. Countless women here are abused and oppressed, said lawyer Franceline Bouda. Only very few women go to the police or to court. Either they just don't know their rights or they don't have enough money.
The biggest hurdle they face is the repercussions of accusing a family member. The reality in Burkina remains that tradition is stronger than the law.
Stopping a cruel practice
This also holds true for genital mutilation. General opinion dictates that a woman who has not been circumcised cannot be faithful. The myth that circumcised girls grow up healthier is still prevalent in rural society.
The latest estimates put the number of girls being circumcised in Burkina at 70 percent. Countless organizations are involved in trying to stop this cruel practice.
Bissiga is one of the places where the organization "Bangr Nooma" has been fighting a nine-year battle to stop the practice of female circumcision - and won. Only very few of the girls in this pretty clay hut village in the middle of the dusty Savannah landscape are circumcised. The elder in charge of the circumcisions, a 70-year-old village woman, agreed to lay down her instruments in return for other work provided by Bangr Nooma. She was just doing her job, said Salamata Soulga: a cut for 10 kola nuts and a piece of soap per girl.
Salamata and the other women in the village know that girls suffer unbearable pain during the operation. The clitoris and labia are often cut out without anesthetic. Thanks to Bangr Nooma, the women also understand that female circumcision almost always causes later health problems - both physical and mental. They also learn that female circumcision has nothing to do with being faithful or unfaithful.
Women suited for all kinds of work
Long-lived traditions are difficult to break, though. That is the experience of Bernhard Zongo, who has founded two centers for female mechanics. His friends told him he was crazy, he said. But Zongo and his students are convinced that there is no such thing as a man-only job.
If women here could just believe in themselves, they could do any job just as well as a man, he said. Several of Zongo's former students have already set up their own workshops in Ouagadougou. And business is thriving despite preconceptions and prejudices.
Success stories like Zongo's mechanics should not be overlooked, but they are exceptions. Most people in Burkina Faso still believe that women belong in the home and are second-class citizens. According to the lawyer Bouda, women here have to work twice as hard as their male colleagues in order to prevail.
For her grandchildren, Bouda said she wishes that they might experience the true spirit of equality - not just on paper, but in everyday life.
Author: Klaudia Pape
Editor: Sabina Casagrande