1 Critical analysis of two arguments African women and culture Paper A: A culture of stigma: Black Women Author:Alaxandria Okeke Paper B: African Culture and Status Of women Author: O.o familiusi Paper B: African Culture and Status Of women: Familiusi is quite an analyst on afro-cultural scenario. In this article she has done a very critical review of how black women emerged and became the biggest transition from slavery to free human ideology This is always been on the fact that women are always at the receiving end. This however has been discovered not to be true in its entirety as women in every society enjoy some absoluterights. She therefore discusses the position of traditional African women from a universal perspective, with importance on how culture has impacted negatively on their well-being, although there are benefits derive from their status in society which is so called. She has concluded in a very experimental way that those practices which serve as taboo practices and not good for the health of those women should be removed from the society and all those privilege’s that are being provided to women in rest of the world ,African women have a cent percent right on them . Culture and feudal system cannot be the decider of their fates. In one of her quotation’s she cites that people like every girl in Africa has right to be a tennis star, a famous scientist and a political personnel. Some tribe leader whose mental capability can’t see the future shouldn’t confine their fates. From the article it’s quite clear that she has done her study on the history and ancient perspective of afro-culture. When she talks about inheritance, it’s quite clear that the African women inherit the slavery and consider themselves as a burden. Inheritance as a cultural training among the African women is not women friendly. Conventionally the issue of will was not present. Thus after the burial of the deceased, the oracle was consulted to fix a time for the sharing of the property. Part to emphasize here is the property covers up their women too. Sharing of workplaces is male centered as women cannot be made the big of the family. No matter how young a male child is, he is superior to female children in this regard no matter how old they may be. However, it is not impossibility for female children to inherit property especially when they are single, but this is not always the case for married women because of the belief that they in their entirety belong to their husbands. Of course, it is not distinguishing for a married woman to claim any right regarding inheriting her family’s belongings. What obtains in Igbo land in Africa is more hostile to women as they do not have any right to inherit anything from their fathers. If a man dies without having a son, his belongings go to his brother or uncle, and his name is believed to have been lost. This is why having a male child in the area is sacrosanct and the relevance of the name Ahamefula(shameful).

1. 1
Critical analysis of two arguments
African women and culture
Paper A: A culture of stigma: Black Women
Author:Alaxandria Okeke
Paper B: African Culture and Status Of women Author: O.o
familiusi
Paper B: African Culture and Status Of women:
Familiusi is quite an analyst on afro-cultural scenario. In this
article she has done a very critical review of how black women
emerged and became the biggest transition from slavery to free
human ideology
This is always been on the fact that women are always at the
receiving end. This however has been discovered not to be true
in its entirety as women in every society enjoy some
absoluterights. She therefore discusses the position of
traditional African women from a universal perspective, with
importance on how culture has impacted negatively on their
well-being, although there are benefits derive from their status
in society which is so called. She has concluded in a very
experimental way that those practices which serve as taboo
practices and not good for the health of those women should be
removed from the society and all those privilege’s that are
being provided to women in rest of the world ,African women
have a cent percent right on them . Culture and feudal system
cannot be the decider of their fates. In one of her quotation’s
she cites that people like every girl in Africa has right to be a
tennis star, a famous scientist and a political personnel. Some
tribe leader whose mental capability can’t see the future
shouldn’t confine their fates.
From the article it’s quite clear that she has done her study on
the history and ancient perspective of afro-culture. When she
talks about inheritance, it’s quite clear that the African women

2. inherit the slavery and consider themselves as a burden.
Inheritance as a cultural training among the African women is
not women friendly. Conventionally the issue of will was not
present. Thus after the burial of the deceased, the oracle was
consulted to fix a time for the sharing of the property. Part to
emphasize here is the property covers up their women too.
Sharing of workplaces is male centered as women cannot be
made the big of the family. No matter how young a male child
is, he is superior to female children in this regard no matter how
old they may be. However, it is not impossibility for female
children to inherit property especially when they are single, but
this is not always the case for married women because of the
belief that they in their entirety belong to their husbands. Of
course, it is not distinguishing for a married woman to claim
any right regarding inheriting her family’s belongings. What
obtains in Igbo land in Africa is more hostile to women as they
do not have any right to inherit anything from their fathers. If a
man dies without having a son, his belongings go to his brother
or uncle, and his name is believed to have been lost. This is why
having a male child in the area is sacrosanct and the relevance
of the name Ahamefula(shameful)- My name is not lost. Hence,
it’s important to note that while a woman may not inherit, she
could be inherited, thus, traditionally wives of the dead were
part of his property. In such a condition, she could be inherited
by somebody too old for her or somebody who may be younger
than her own son and that’s the irony.
Purpose of the author is to emphasize and aware people of the
taboo and inherited culture still being practiced and should have
been eliminated but due to lack of education still remains in
their veins. She has more often in her article talked about the
education. Education changes the perspective of men about
women. Gender equality is a subject and being practiced for
doctorate purposes where as in another part of the world being
crushed under the practices of African culture. She has centered
that this culture has emerged a lot but still places far than being
to normal.

3. In this paper she doesn’t only talk about basic equality words
but also has identified the claims by making her readers aware
of the proverbs very often being used and serve too be very
dramatically harmful for those black women (she prefers to say
black stronger women).
When she talks about the taboos and the proverbs they are very
difficult to negate because on a research of the most basic
proverbs, taboos they were very easy to find .Interestingly it’s
in their language ,”female is dirt” a common proverb of the land
Igbo. One of interesting research she has done is tio ba nidi
obirin ki ije kumolu– Woman cannot be named Kumolu for any
reason. This name is given to men especially those who are
potential leaders of their families.it signifies the importance of
gender biasness as a basic roots i.e. language.
In one of her comparisons of the gender in a tribe she states
“the male child is metaphorically referred to as the pillar of the
family opomulero while the female one symbolizes a seasonal
stream”. It’s quite interesting how she has done a contrast by
stating the common words of the land.
One of the inspiring things about this paper is that she has done
a lot of research from the common land apart from striking the
basic issues. In one of her subsection she talks about how they
enroll this inequality in their culture. She has stated one of the
verses of a musician singing.
Okunrin le niayamefa
KobuOkunrinkansoso Ni
Oluwayanfobinrin
“A man can have six wives It is not bad But to one man only
God appointed a woman to marry (Culled from Dopamu and
Alana 2004:160-162)”
Talking about morality she states that trust is such a thing they
never even tried to pull up on women. It’s one of their saying
that
Obinrinlodale, obinrinleke, Emofinuhan obinrin
“Women are disloyal deceitful, do not expose your inner
thought to a woman”

4. and
obinrin koni gogongo, that is, women do not have Adam’s
apple. This suggests that they cannot keep secret and that they
must not be confided in.
O.o familiusi has an upper hand on the other author because she
has done a lot of research and claims each and every point of
her discussion from morality to marital issues. References she
has given are more of relevant to what she has written.
According to her word, the woman has always been offered as a
prey of cultural practices hence the promotion of women
studies, which is a step in right direction is something she has
emphasized on. Thus if a man is crucial, she resists that women
should also be accepted as such, and value must be placed on
the human person, not gender. It needs be recommended that
cultural practices that are harmful to women should be
discarded. If culture is a way of life and it is dynamic, one does
not expect it to be destructive. Her paper’s entire crux is that
the woman and her experience must no longer be viewed
entirely from a bad perspective while African radicals are
encouraged to exercise caution in their activities. Things such
abortion, lesbianism, and choosing to have children or not;
advocated by radical feminism must be ignored as they negate
Africa cultural heritage.
Paper A: A culture of stigma: Black Women Author:
Alaxandria Okeke
Okeke has sketched this paper like an art. An art with every
detail in it but a little lack of argument.one argument that
modifies the topic given by her is that there is a positive effect
of the status of African women on their wellbeing but on the
same path way they suffer too.
Motherhood is an important topic on which author has
emphasized and compared and contrast the scientific reality and
cultural taboo. In one of her subsections she states immediately

5. a child is born, the question that will be posed will center on
sex, not minding of health of the mother. If the baby is a
female, the mother will be scolded and treated as a lazy, good
for nothing woman. On the other hand if the child is a male,
praise will be showered on the mother, not considering the fact
that Biology has shown that it is the father who determines the
sex of an offspring.
Okeke has also talked about the inheritance where he states that
women have eventually learned that no one accepts them or
owns them so they themselves have to own and accept the
reality an stand for it.Okeke stated one of the sayings of an afro
villager:
“She’s compassionate, she’s caring, and she understands,
She’s willing to help…but mostly she’s taking care of herself
Because honestly, as a Black woman, I feel like no one else will
Take care of me if I don’t…Unless you really care about me and
Love me, I don’t trust you.”
One of the positive aspects that she has mentioned is that black
women have been the victim of gender biasness and have been
treated cruelly. It has served as an evolutionary process turning
them into strong black women who can muster through their
adversity.
She has discussed the effect of this taboo on mental illness of
black women. They are pushed to go and ask for help in any
case. In severe cases they are even deprived of the basic needs
to show that men will always be superior to them. According to
2007 study mentioned by her, In an African village Igbo if a
female gives birth to a daughter more than three times in a line
either she is pushed to death or her reproductive system is
destroyed.
She states “Africa a continent three times the size of America”,
this is the irony of the scenario that we all know education is
the only way out where men would know the status of women
and provide them what is theirs. Even in some pro-Islamic
states of Africa women are not provided with the rights which
are quite a shame for the Islamic community of that state.

6. The logical appeal put forth by the author is that education can
change what has ruined the afro-society. On the name of taboo
and culture generations have ruined. Lack of confidence and
selfness in women is an obvious thing that the author noticed in
her findings. The 2007 study of the African women has shocked
the women all around the world. Author compares young
business women in L.A and a strong black woman in Africa.
The difference is some inherited culture and taboo has ruined
one’s fate where education has designed one good.
Purpose of the author in this article is to strike the health issues
being created in these women due to this torturing cultural
taboo and inherited practices that haunt them. If anyhow you are
lucky enough to find a doctor to improve your mental health,
the issue of ranking patients by severity of disorder happens.
Author states if you are not suicidal enough you are put at the
end of the list.
More often the author has used the 2007 study about African
women and culture (NAMA). The study has almost interesting
views about the effect of taboos and culture on health of these
women. On the other hand author has been challenged in her
reviews that African women are healthier and stronger and it’s
in their culture. They consider the mothers as Goddesses from
heaven. From the facts and the taboo culture its quite clear that
they are not and women are a victim and need assistance in
education, health and every field.
One of the important argument she has made is the education of
African men that is much more important and smart .It’s the
men causing the problem in that particular society so she has
strike the right pigeon at the right time with the right tool.
Some of the emotional appeals put forth by the author includes
the tribes of Congo, if there is not enough food, Mothers are
supposed to give food to the boys. According to the study of
Women of Africa (2001) done by (WHO), a large number of
female children died whereas boys were saved.
It’s unacceptable how in such an advanced world taboos are still
a part of some culture. Some inherited culture decides the

7. fortune of a woman.
Contrast and Comparison of two Authors:
Familiusi and Okeke both have written a great piece of script.
Familiusi has done a lot of research and provided a lot of facts
about the black women. She has gone through the language and
the proverbs used in the tribes of Afro-Culture. She is more of a
logical person than emotional. She has provided the facts in
each and every arguments.She has cited the religious books and
the tribal taboos being practiced.
On the other hand Okeke is more of an emotional writer. She
has shown how black women become a victim of mental illness
due to culture and inherited practices but there is a lack of logic
and a lot of emotions.
She has given the examples of poverty stricken women and
dying children and has put all the responsibility on men. On the
other hand Familiusi is more concerned about the education .she
is concerned about the education of the whole tribe which would
able them to see the world from another perspective. A broader
and clearer perspective.
Familiusi has provided a clear conclusion that can solve the
dirty equation but Okeke is more of concerned about health and
wellbeing of the women of Africa but her paper lacks the
solution.
A paper to me should give some conclusions, some results to the
readers in order to make a change. Familiusi in this case has
done the work but Okeke on the other hand failed to do so.
Talking about research Familiusi has done research about tribes,
proverbs, taboos, holy verses and much more. Okeke has done
research on health issues of women caused to culture and
inherited practices. Okeke has mentioned the research done by
World health organization.
Okeke is more health concerned where familisui is more
education concerned and I support the argument of familisui
because education is the only way by which we can in corporate
sense of gender equality into men. In order to stabilize the
status of women in afro-society they need to let go their so

8. called anti-women culture and adapt an improved system of
education.
References:
1.Alexandria Okeke, Georgia State University. “A Culture of
Stigma: Black Women and Mental
Health” (2013)
2. O.O. Familusi, University of Ibadan. “African Culture and
the Status ofWomen: The Yoruba Example”(2012).