Voice of Chad
Heroic struggle for empowerment by women in Chad

Ever since Chad became independent in 1960, Chadian women have been lauded for their resolve and acumen with which they win the struggle for their legitimate rights and empowerment year by year. Yet, they still have a long way ahead to achieve gender parity.

It has been a long while since Chadian women of certain communities in the southern part of the country were forbidden to eat chicken. Until the early 1970s, most women – both in rural and urban areas – were not allowed to share choice chicken pieces with men.

What was the reason for this restriction? As it did not involve totems or religion, it was simply a question of the male ego. This is just one of many forms of discrimination that women were – and in some cases still are – subjected to.

A lot has changed in Chad. Chicken gizzard may not enjoy quite the same status as other pieces, but many women continue to leave it for the head of the family because, strictly speaking, the piece belongs to him. Over time, and especially after the civil war in 1979, winds of change have swept through Chadian society. This has, to some extent, helped the empowerment of women. Many families are now headed by a woman. They put the food on the table thanks to their many income-generating activities. And every now and again women treat themselves to chicken, even slaughtering it themselves.

A recent study by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) titled "Women, Empowerment and the Consolidation of Peace and Security in Chad" notes that over the past years, women have become more empowered although their struggle has been overshadowed by gender-based violence. Both in urban and rural settings, women are engaged in processing (shea and peanut oil, soap and fruit juices), marketing (fish, livestock and agricultural products) as well as manufacturing handicrafts.

Sylvie Neloumta has just completed her studies in journalism at N’Djamena University. She was a trainee at a local radio station and subsequently decided to get into vegetable trading. She recounts proudly that she markets celery, carrots, cabbage, aubergines and courgettes.

At the political level, a decree has set the quota for women nominated to and in decision-making bodies at 30%, although many people are demanding gender parity. Fatimé Amsissane Lamana is a 46-year-old businesswoman who is also a member of the national transitional council. "Social coexistence has always been close to my heart. That is why I participated in social activities early on as president of the Chadian student union in Cameroon. I have been fighting on all fronts to ensure that women are independent and can stand on their own feet in all walks of life," she told UNFPA. As a leading light in the federation of cooperatives in Chari-Baguirmi, she organises self-help collectives in areas ranging from handicrafts and financial inclusion to peanut oil production.

The heroic struggle of the women in Chad will doubtless continue for a long time to come.