Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation(81-129)

Cesaria Evora, one of Cape Verde's most famous and admired singer!

Summary
As Cape Verde indulges themselves with conflicts and successes, women were facing gender discrimination, “in their relatively higher level of illiteracy, lower pay, and diminishing numbers in Upper social, political, and education positions” (Lobban 83). However, there were also successful Cape Verdean women at the time, such as Vera Duarte, Yolanda Morazzo, Orlanda Amarilis, and Maria Nunes who were all writers. Women had heavy and arduous jobs including working on road bridges and public works project, pounding food grains, and carrying heavy water containers over long distances and to high elevations. Women lived difficult lives. On top of having dangerous labors, they were commonly abused at home by their husbands. But no abuses were mentioned in the court. Women’s roles began to change in 1961, when the Democratic of Women (UDEMU) was formed in Conakry. This organization for women oppressed the anticolonial movement led by the PAIGC. The organization represented Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. The UDEMU was later replaced by the Women's Commission, which continued the improvement of women in different nations. After the Women's Commission, in 1980, the separate organization of women of Cape Verde (OMCV) was formed when PAIGC was changed to PAICV. Paula Fortes was the present Secretary-General of the OMCV. Now as a result, women have held 79 seats in the Cape Verdean Elections for the first time.
Quote:
."...The women in both lands suffered from the triple oppression of colonialism, racism, and male supremecy"(Lobban 82).
Reaction
Women always had a role of not being an influential and dominant personality nor role in the society. Women were only to get married have children, raise their children properly, and take care of the house by cooking and farming. Now, you can see at Cape Verde, women's role began to change drastically. They became more involved in political issues defending women's rights. They became more than just wives and mothers. They became voices for the other women and heroines to the own sex. They stood up for their rights, fought for their rights, and obtained their rights on the Cape Verdean Island society.