Black lives matter. Without a doubt, Africans know this to be true. But we have not always recognized nor understood the insidious racism that black Americans face in the United States. Our inability to see the true nature of their oppression has often caused division and distrust between our two communities.
There has been a major shift with the murder of George Floyd on the 30th of May. In the last week, tens of thousands have gathered in the cities of Dar-es-Salaam to Dakar and in Cape Town to Cairo to declare themselves allies in this struggle. Our most eminent figures have signed hard-hitting articles and appeared on TV to make it clear that the whole continent supports black Americans. And the African Union has sent a letter on our behalf to U.S. authorities to demand a resolution of this centuries old scourge.
But for Africans, we have a double obligation. With our solidarity, we must accept responsibility to take up the cause of police brutality and oppression closer to home. In just these last two months, as national governments on the continent have sought to impose curfews to slow the spread of COVID-19, the police have killed citizens in several of our countries.
So far, Kenya has recorded 20 deaths at the hands of the police since the lockdown began in March. Poor people, who have to come out to earn a living in spite of the restrictions to movement, have been the most affected. While Kenya has reported the highest number of such deaths, several other countries including South Africa (8 in the first week) and Nigeria (18) are not far behind it.
16-year-old Tina Ezekwe, killed by a stray bullet while standing by the bus stop in Lagos. 13-year old Yassin Hussein Moyo, also killed by a stray bullet. He was standing on the balcony of his family’s home in Nairobi. We need to name them and ensure that their unjust deaths lead to real change.
But in terms of numbers of victims, there is a more sinister side associated with this pandemic. Outside the glare of publicity, in what many call a shadow pandemic, domestic violence, rape and murder of women and girls are on the rise as documented by a recent U.N. report. Thus, there is a need to combat the oppression against women, and fight for social and economic equality.
An organization aimed at increasing women’s equality and combating oppression is Women in Africa, WIA. Women in Africa has rightly focused on women entrepreneurs across Africa – a key to unlock economic empowerment and job creation for women. These women are reviving economies, one enterprise at a time. Their economic success will not only create jobs, it will amplify their voices so that they can engage in wider issues in greater parity with men. And it is this balance in participation in public and private spaces, that will lead to countries that serve and protect all citizens, including women and girls, better.
Before us is a portal between the world that was and the world that could be. For the first time in many centuries, women are in a position to propel the transition as much as men. If we want the future to be equal, now is our moment.
Abiola is the founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy
