Liberian Literary Magazine Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture again at the same bunch for placing these women in the state they were in. I found it hard to believe that there were active agencies back on the continent recruiting women to do this dangerous work. There is no way they were unaware of the dangerous situations they were sending these girls and women into. It turned out that every one of them that were brave enough to talk had some story that makes your worst horror film seem like comedy. Trust me, I am cool with horror films but what I was hearing made me feel not just hurt, sad and angry. I almost felt helpless. As one person after the other narrated how they were objects of constant abuse in the most horrific sense, I folded in and felt that life has been more than kind to me and my girls. I could not imagine any of my girls, big or small, ever having to live through half of what any of these women had faced. I remember thinking that if a person ever tried that to them, I would literally do unthinkable things to them. I could feel how their fathers, brothers, husbands etc., might feel if they ever found out. One after the other narrated tales of physical, sexual and psychological abuse at the hands of their madams, the relations of their bosses and at times even the very kids they were tending to. One told of how her employers had the audacity to ask her to stripe and‘ service’ his friends after he had had his share. The audacity to actually think, expect and consider the thought before voicing it was what I believed killed her. Imagine this on the second day of your employment? Several others chimed in and confirmed similar incidences. Refusal meant sure way to fall out of grace and into the hell. I remember thinking that this here is what feminism should be about. This is what feminism is about to these women; not some fancy stuff that is unrelated to their situations. Oh yes, many girls and women in Africa will never face sexual identity crisis; many will not face bullying issues from schoolmates because they are NOT in school. Many will not have LBGT related issues, at least not directly. This does not negate these issues to those that it matters to, but it shows that a small bunch have succeeded in hijacking the feminism narrative and remain out of touch with the plight of millions of women. FGM and religious oppression is not the sum total of problems face by African women. They are but a small part of the issues that they have to deal with daily. So yes, women are celebrating the gains made in many parts of the western world. This is a good thing but it is way past time that western feminists get out of their comfort zones and address issues on a much larger scale. If they insist on taking over the narrative, then it is only fair they do the required work for it. If they decry men being the saviors of helpless women, it should be equally repulsive for them to be the saviors of the African or underrepresented women. This month may be a month of celebration but it sure as heck ain’ t for far too many women than we should be comfortable with. The time for lip service is over. Get off your feet and do what needs to be done. We all should, not just women. This is a fight for our souls as humans. We can’ t just leave it up to the women. I wish my girls to grow and live in a world that is equal, fair and decent for them. I wish them to have the same, if not more, opportunities as my son would. It is only fair don’ t you think? D. Othniel Forte
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