Colonialism, Gender and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa

Colonialism, Gender, and Society
Student’s Name
Institution
Colonialism, Gender, and Society
Women Reproductive Health
Sub-Saharan Africa always lacks behind in every aspect of development compared to the rest of the world. Most significantly, this part of the continent presents a major concern on matters of reproductive health more so on the female gender who are generally vulnerable. This has been attributed to the staunch African traditions and culture among other factors. With the emergence of non-curable sexually transmitted deceases like HIV/AIDS and also the growing concern on early mirages, African culture has got to evolve in order to improve reproductive health and the wellbeing of women. This paper purpose to point out the irrelevance of holding on to African traditions that undermine the wellbeing of African women.
Reproductive health mainly has to do with one’s freedom on matters related to the reproductive system. One is said to have attained full reproductive health when they can decide on their own on when, how and who to have sexual intercourse with, with no interference whatsoever to one's capability to reproduce (Darteh et al., 2019). Darteh et al. (2019) emphasize the role of decision making among women with regards to the reproductive health that has been greatly undermined in the sub-Saharan African region due to inadequate self-reliance among the female gender. Studies in the sub-Saharan region show that women have been subjected to oppressive social conditions, education, and occupations that hinder their decision making.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a very prevalent practice among the sub-Saharan countries and specifically among some ethnic groups. The reason behind this practice varies among groups of people but as observed by Cloward K. (2016), the most common justifying factor is for the purpose of preserving virginity of the girl child and also to ensure faithfulness among couples. Consequently, FGM has been condemned with the strongest terms possible by many human rights activists and humanitarian bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO). The major concern with the practice is the adverse medical complication that arises as a result of excessive bleeding. Furthermore, the use of unsterilized objects to carry out FGM can lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Cloward K. (2016) advocate for the abolishing of local social norms and embracing the international norms.
Another prevalent issue among the sub-Saharan countries is child marriage that is deemed to be a result of the resource constraint nature of African countries. These early marriages come with a myriad of health adversities as outlined by Yaya et al. (2019). Yaya et al. (2019) lament on the existence of laws that permits child marriages among some sub-Saharan countries, with no regard for negative impacts associated with early marriages. Besides, some African parents still value the social status that one acquires as a result of marrying off their daughter to wealthier families, prompting them to do so without giving a second thought on the repercussions. Despite efforts by international communities such as the United Nations to put measures to safeguard the rights of a girl child, there are still numer...