African Women, Women Of The Third World,

10 Pages 2433 Words

Guinea West Africa obtained it’s Independence in 1958, as a consequence of its rejection on de Gaulle’s proposed new constitution. A socialist republic was immediately declared. The current Guinea government is now based on a constitution that was adopted in 1990 and went into effect in 1991. The new constitution established Guinea as a republic (Guinea, 1). This choice was to have important repercussions for the Guinean masses, imposing gigantic pressures on them. However, what happened to the Guinean woman? Where did she stand in the new order?
Guinea was and is in a state of evolution, while still bearing the deep imprint of its cultural past. Ancestral values die-hard. In addition, in certain places and some circles they hold sway. However, it must be emphasized that Guinea is one of the countries that included the integration of women it its political program. It is one of the first states to promote a policy of integration and emancipation of women.
When it was necessary to oppose the reactionary forces which sought to keep Guinea under colonial domination, “the women of Guinea armed themselves and took their place in the forefront of the fight against the enemy” (Cabral, 55). For example the heroic M’Ballia Camara, who was assassinated on February 9, 1955, and disemboweled while she was carrying the child of the colonials’ puppet of that period, David Sylla (Cabral, 55). The date of her death is celebrated as the National Day of Guinean Women. Guinea also has the highest rate of female participation in government of any African state. By way of comparison, in 1997 Algeria had eight women deputies out of a total of 261 while Guinea 22 of its 72 deputies were women (World Bank Atlas). Similarly, a woman, Mme. Malfory Bangoura, who had never attended a French school, was appointed Minster for Social Affairs and leader of the women’s section of the PDG (Parti Democratique de Guinee) (World Ba...