ANGLOPHONE WOMEN IN CONTEMPORARY CAMEROON ESSAY

ANGLOPHONE  WOMEN  IN  CONTEMPORARY  CAMEROON  ESSAY

Introduction

Generally  speaking  Anglophones  are  defined  as  people  whose  language  of  expression  is  English . As  everyone knows  Cameroon  is  a  bilingual  country  which  was  divided  into  two  sections   in  the  past .  The  first  section  governed  by  the  French  where   the  language  of  expression  was  French   and  the  second  section  governed  by  the  British  ,  with  English  as   the  language  of  expression . During  reunification ,  the  two  sections  got  united  and  kept  their  languages ,  the  Northwest  and  the  Southwest  of  Cameroon  still  have  English  as  their  main  language  of  communication  with  pidgin  and  mother  tongues  aside . During  my  stay  in  Bamenda  , the  county  town  of  the  Northwest  province , I  met  two  categories  of  Anglophone  women  with  different  roles  ,  goals  and  issues  in  life . However , this  paper  demonstrates  a positive  attitude  which  is  that  of  the  development  of  Anglophone  women  of  the  Northwest   in  the  contemporary  Cameroon  , through  their  implications  in  the  society ,  the  issues  they  face  and  the  techniques  they  use  to  resolve  those  issues in  their  daily  life .  

• The  role  of  the  traditional and  modern  Anglophone  women  in  the  society

   The  role  of  women  in  the  society is  certainly  a  discussion  which  I  claim  to  deal  of  exhaustive  because  of  her  duties . They  are  proven  to  have  increased  over time   though  the  traditional  care giving  and  home making  roles  are struggling   to  be  abandoned  due  to  outdoors  activities  in  which  many  women  in  the  contemporary  Cameroon  are  implicated . As  Tantoh  Emmanuel  said “ nowadays  a  woman  has  3  roles :  the  reproductive , the  community  and  the  productive  role “ .  In  other  words , her   role   is  not  just  anymore  as  a  mother  and  a  wife  but  also  as a  woman  who  promotes  women’s  empowerment  and  defends  their  rights . In  the  Northwest of  Cameroon , a  female  is  recognized  as  a  woman  by  the  time  she  gets  breasts  and  menses . So  at  that  time  she  can  get  married  and  settle  her  own  family   with  the  man  who  asks  for  her  hand  . As  a  wife  she  has  the  crucial  role  to  give  birth  and  take  care  of  her  family . i.e. the  children , the  husband  and  the  extended  family . Firstly , taking  care  of  her  husband  implies  cooking  for  him  because  a  woman  who  doesn’t  know  how  to  cook  is  still  viewed  as  one  who  has  received  a  bad  education  and  one   of  the  method  that  is  commonly  identified  as  a  technique  used  to  preserve  your  husband  and  retract  him  from  other  women  is  cooking .  Apart  from  cooking   for  him , she   also  cooks  for  her  in  laws ,  when  she  visits  a  relative   or  when  she  wants  to  please  her  mother  in  law  she  makes  good  meals  for  her . Secondly , as  the  traditional  woman  Mama  Justine  said  “ she  takes  care  of  her  husband  by  washing  his  clothes  “  because  a  man   who  is  seen clean  is  judged  to  have  a  good  wife . Nonetheless  this  aspect  gradually  disappears  with  time  because  of  modernization  and  women  who  are  fighting  to  reduce  their   duties  in  the  household . However  she  plays  a  key  role  in  the  education  and  teaching  of  children  ethical ,  social  and   moral  values  . She  has  the  duty  to  raise  her  girls  properly  by  teaching  her  how  to  cook  and  clean  the  house . Well , what  they  believe  a  housewife  should  know  and  be  able  to  do .  Because  they  are  also  expected  to  get  married  in  the  future ,  so  in  most  families  it  is  very  common  to  see  a   girl  with  many  household  chores . Additionally , the  ability  of  a  woman  to  procreate  and  educate  has  given  her   an  important  status   in  the  society , she  is  viewed  to  be   closely  related  to  God  given  her  ability  to  donate  life . Thus , this  role  of  her  concerning  the  upbringing  of  her  children  is   naturally   seen  as  a  duty . She  is  seen  as  that  one  who  instill  socio – religious  values  in  her  family  , and  ensures  that  the  family  is  united .

 Essentially  today  Anglophone  women  as  well  as  African  women  do not  only  have   the  role  of  caretaker  but  it  extends  unto  contributing  in  the  house  expenses , defending  their  rights  and  promote  their  empowerment . Non – educated   and  educated  women  create  a  type  of  meeting  called  Njangui  where  women  meet  constantly  to  discuss  on  their  issues ,  share  ideas  , save  money  for  their  children’s  education  and  personal  needs . This  initiative  taken  by  courageous  women   has  helped  to  assemble  many  other  women  together  to   provide  a  space  of  freedom  where  they  could  express  themselves  and  gain  the  necessary  support . Nevertheless  as  EmmanueL  Tantoh   and  Gabriella  Njang   mentioned ,  other   educated   women  who  attended  schools  or  work  and  learned  about  laws  play  the  role  of  witnesses  by  struggling  to  defend  laws  in  favor  of  women   such  as  women’s  abuse  and  promote  these  laws  so that  others  could  be  aware . In  summary  one  could  say  Anglophone  women  still  play  indispensable  roles  in  the  society  despite   the  issues  they  face  that  might  come  somehow  from  their  perception  of  modernity .

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