Through my African Eyes: Thomas Sankara, a Man who Loved and Empowered African Women
03-23-2022
By Stephen Apollo
As we continue to celebrate women in this month, the story of Thomas Sankara, though a man, is a fitting interconnection. Sankara was a revolutionary president of Bukina Faso from 1983 to 1987. The charismatic Pan-Africanist was shot dead by soldiers during a coup in 1987 and he was 37 when he died. Sankara remains one of the most outstanding African leaders of all times. It was under his rule that the country was renamed from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning "Land of Upright People." Sankara is fondly remembered for his revolutionary leadership that saw Bukina Faso significantly tend forward in matters education, health, housing, and food security. He adopted an anti-imperialist foreign policy which challenged the dominance of France, which retained huge influence in many of its former colonies in Africa. In total contrast to other heads of state in Africa, Sankara demanded austerity in his government and he actually led by example. He reduced his own salary and that of all public servants and also banned usage of expensive cars by government officials and first-class airline tickets. He instituted mass sporting activities throughout the country, and leading by example, he demanded that all the citizens must participate in a sport once per week.
Perhaps among all the great achievements of Sankara, his affirmative action towards women and promotion of women rights, remains exceptionally marvelous. Sankara insisted that the revolution cannot triumph without the emancipation of women, which he argued it was not an act of charity or a surge of human compassion, but It was a basic necessity for the triumph of the revolution. Consequently, Sankara was the first African leader to appoint women to major cabinet positions and to recruit them for military service, an unprecedented policy priority in Africa! He banned female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy. He encouraged and facilitated girls to go to school and insisted they must stay in school even if pregnant. Gratefully, during his reign children mortality dropped significantly. Amazingly, throughout the years of his reign, on every International Women Day (8th March), he ordered that all the men should do all the chores usually carried out by women, like going to the market and cooking, to experience for themselves the conditions faced by women.
Intending to establish a new social order and cultural transformation, Sankara fiercely fought against oppression of women and it is evident that improving the status of women was one of Sankara’s explicit and revolutionary goals. Sankara himself said that, “While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.” They killed him but they did not kill his spirit and may this wonderful spirit live long!
“The future is revolutionary!
The future belongs to those who fight!
Forward to a non-sexist society!” (Nathi Mthethwa).
Works Consulted
Afrikanews, “Thomas Sankara the Upright Man,” YouTube Video, 52:03, Aug 19, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Vlt41HPUE&t=753s.
Jewel Kiriungi, “Thomas Sankara trial in Burkina Faso: Who killed 'Africa's Che Guevara,”? BBC, 11 October 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58842427.
Photo from Wikipedia
