Only the women can best tell their story

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In Summary

From July 21 to 31, 22 women from 10 African countries took part in a creative non-fiction writers’ workshop. It was organised by the Uganda Women Writers Association (FEMRITE) and the African Women’s Development Fund to give women space, time and enhanced skills to write in compelling ways about a range of social, economic and political issues of concern. Its highlight was a public dialogue on what difference it makes that African women speak for themselves. Hilda Twongyeirwe, who coordinates Femrite, talks about the need for women to be able to tell their story.

What difference does it make that women speak for themselves?

They understand their story. They have lived it. They have experienced it and so they are able to tell it correctly or at least to imagine it truthfully. Although women are not a homogeneous group, there are basic things that cut across, whether one is an African, an Indian, a Muganda, a Munyankole or English.

Who else speaks for the ‘African women and what do you disagree with about what they say?

There are different ‘other(s)’, but the major one is the man. A few months ago, I visited a university and at the gate, I was told to cover myself for my own good. Women are asked to cover themselves as a sign of protection by the men. I asked, ‘This is my body. Why am I being asked to cover it by a man? Who says he is protecting me by covering me?’

My truth was that he was covering me to protect his interests. But his truth is different and whether he believes it or not, it might not matter as long as his interests are served. Incidentally, I had gone to this space to participate in a public dialogue on the role of a writer in building social and political freedoms.

The other “other” can be a woman who especially might have been indoctrinated or whose “truth” is different from some women’s truths. A few years ago when Ugandan women were speaking against polygamy, for instance, the Muslim women took to the streets of Kampala to protest against it.

There are parallels between women telling their own stories and an ongoing debate in journalism about the African story, who should tell it and how should it be told. How is it for the women’s story? Do only women reserve the right to tell this story? Who qualifies and why?

Stories are free to be told by whoever has the means, the skills and the interest to tell them. However, what we all should do is care to tell the story correctly, otherwise, somebody else will tell it their way. It is the same about the woman’s story. Women do not reserve the right to tell the woman’s story. Anyone can tell the woman’s story but the question is how they are telling it. The woman’s story is critical and it should not be left to chance.

A woman will not, for example, tell you that when her husband does not beat her then he does not love her. But a man will tell you that he beats the wife because if he does not, then she will think that he does not love her. Whose truth is this? Whose story is this?

Freedom of the press, it has been said, belongs to those who own one. Isn’t setting up and owning publication spaces and platforms a much more rewarding venture than insisting that other people tell your stories the way you want them on their platforms?

Whereas it is very important to own spaces and platforms for publication/speaking, it is also very important to influence other spaces to see our truths. This is especially very important because women’s truths are actually social truths.

We are not just correcting women’s stories, we are correcting societal truths and this is what will lead to social justice. A few years ago a woman in my village was caned by Local Council leaders because her husband collapsed at the bar. The reason was that he had not eaten any food for some days.

The conclusion, which here is the woman’s story, was that she was denying him food. The verdict for social justice was to cane the wife so she does not make her husband go hungry again. Nobody bothered to find out the story behind this story.

What this implies is that there is need for women’s voices on all platforms. There is need for women to find these spaces and aggressively make use of them, to speak their truths, to correct the lies, and to give their own perspectives.

If you consider that s/he who pays the piper calls the tune, how much freedom exists for women to tell their own stories?

There will always be the politics of funding and aid. If a partnership does not serve your purpose, you have the liberty to say “thank you, but no”. Femrite has published five books of true life stories of women and all partnerships have had no strings attached.

So, it is possible that s/he who pays the piper may not necessarily call the tune. There are development partners who are genuinely interested in having women’ stories told.