Redefining Womanhood Through African Motherhood

As I celebrate my daughter’s 30th birthday, I am reminded of motherhood; a role that many in my career field perceive as submissive or weak. Some in this field believe that women should not have children, viewing them as a hindrance to their careers. However, as an African woman, I strongly believe in the value of family, and motherhood is central to a family-oriented life. I embrace womanism, which allows me to be in tune with my femininity.

This takes me to the concept of womanhood, a  theory by Simone de Beauvoir in 1949.

What are my views on Womanhood?

In my view, Womanhood has a negative connotation because a Black woman was a colonial project whose sole purpose was attributed to procreation. This objectification of Black women has led to their womanhood not being properly understood or respected. Womanhood is intertwined with Womanism. One cannot define Womanhood without examining Womanism. 

What is Womanism?

Womanism,  a concept introduced by Alice Walker in 1983, aimed to liberate Black women from racism; racism that perceives Black people as inferior beings; socio-economic prejudice and discrimination that relegate them to a lower class; and gender oppression that places Black women at the bottom of the hierarchical social structure, rooted in oppressive norms.

Womanhood is a highly sensitive subject, given South Africa’s diverse cultural ethnicities, and it varies within cultural and religious contexts as it is expressed differently by individuals. 

Considering that Black African women were a colonial project, whereby they were perceived as inferior and relegated to the bottom of the hierarchical social structure: mostly, they find themselves emulating Western standards in striving for social belonging.

Impact of Technology on Womanhood

Technological imports displayed on social media from the West further impose a burden on Black women to assimilate to their standards of womanhood. Additionally, religion places women in a box by prescribing how to be a “virtuous woman”.

In my view, womanhood may be defined as both a natural and social construct that acknowledges Motherism by embracing the essence of motherhood in an African woman. It further encourages authenticity, autonomy, family-centeredness, spirituality, self-respect, self-love, and solidarity to strive for the true self.

By embracing motherhood, a woman is not necessarily defined by the baby or partner/spouse, nor by gender roles: it simply implies that she is following her natural biological instincts to nurture the baby. This is aimed at providing love and basic needs, such as breastfeeding, required by the baby.

Nurturing seeks to foster a non-violent society and enhance social capital within society. The concept of Motherism extends to Motherist, meaning motherhood is not limited to women; both females and males have a complementary responsibility in nurturing the baby.

I encourage all of you to embrace motherhood. Your existence is not an accident but has a purpose, for a purpose, and with purpose!