What if it is not about inspiring others to understand and value the contribution of women but rather breaking down an antiquated architecture of being?

It is always somewhat fairly amusing, when reading about including women in spaces and places in society. It comes across as though women are not a part of the broader ecosystem, and are perhaps seen as somewhat interfering and invasive therefore needing to be handled and slowly introduced into society.

I think the time has come that as a society, both men and women, we need to look for a new approach and a new architecture that will ensure gender. “Allowing” for women to be included, seems as though some sort of favour is being bestowed upon women. As such, privileging us to participate in our own societies, as though that were not already a right.

We need to alter our societies DNA and architecture, so that the participation of women is no longer seen as an anomaly, but as a norm.

It would seem that every few years there comes a strong fight and movement for women’s liberation and women’s rights. Through various reasons, we find ourselves moving forwards, but invariably after some time, take numerous steps back again. The regression is amongst others characterised by suppressing and hiding our femininity, erasure of our occupancy and minimisation of our humanity. All these in the effort to make invisible our being, lest we incur the wrath that may impact our peace in the spaces we occupy and where we serve.

We can no longer speak about inclusivity of women, when our forebears already fought that battle. Perhaps we can argue inspiration, and that inspiration, would be to inspire society to be brave enough to build a new architecture that will break down the walls and ensure gender equity is in all spaces. To accept that when women achieve, they have done so through merit and hard work. Often harder because women have so much more to navigate.

In inspiring others to see the value of women, it begins with us as women seeing the value within ourselves. Remembering that we are created from the divine feminine. We need to remember the divinity that exists in each woman, where even through it all, women still show up to work, love, care, fight, win and triumph over society’s hard-handed fist.

We cannot inspire others until we ourselves as women are inspired. Additionally,  learn to embrace one another as women, rather than be shaken by each other’s  greatness. A time and place where the mothers of our communities again feel a sense of responsibility, towards younger women and protect, nurture and care for them. Where young women see the elder woman, as their own mother and respect her accordingly.

The sanctity, and sacredness of the woman should be brought back into society, because it will be through that admiration, honour and respect, that inspiration will follow.

In a society where few things are sacred anymore and the rapid rate of consumption, visually, intellectually, spiritually and in so many ways, has deteriorated what was once held dear, we have to dive deep as individuals, as societies and communities. We need to dive into an era where certain places and spaces were considered scared, and in that, once again find the beauty of a woman.

Beauty in mind, body and soul, to be respected, honoured valued and appreciated. This intervention needs to begin from childhood, where we reshape the thinking of our society, from the early years. Where we build societies of young girls and boys that are inspired by women and where men are equally honoured and the two are able to work side by side towards a common goal of building something great.

When we look back at the queens and empresses of our beautiful African continent, their participation in society was embraced and their very existence inspired. Queen Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Aminatu, Queen Njinga, Queen Moremi and the Empress Candace, the list is endless.

As their daughters, who have become the embodiment and existence of the prayers that they prayed, let us take back that mantle, stand tall. Let us refuse to bow our heads, rather let us embrace our greatness and the vision that our forebears held for us. Let us embrace our strength, talent and let us not fight to be included in places where we already exist, but rather live to inspire and bring back the essence that is….woman.

By Professor Flavia Senkubuge, a medical doctor and UP’s Acting Vice-Principal for Student Life