All over the western world, women roles have been changing comparing to what it was let’s say one or two generations ago. Nowadays in “Western / European society”, women are now seen as been equal to men or even better than men in some things. The rise of women’s liberation movement in many western societies has ensured that women’s rights are brought to the forefront, their collective voice is heard and actions set in place to ensure they get overdue respect.
Many African men have problems with the concept that men and women are equal and that they should be put on the same level. I would say such philosophy is part of an old brigade that is slowly becoming extinct like the dinosaurs. The older generation of African men will probably never see their wives as being equal to them. On the other hand, their children will fare a little better in this respect when it comes to understanding and accepting the equality of men and women.
Being married to an African man and living in a Western / European society, the African man’s spouse would want to see her significant other’s show of affection in public like you would see with people in non-African relationships. Many African men resist holding their wives’ hands or even holding their wives affectionately in public because they think it is a white man’s culture. I sometimes say to my wife, who is Caucasian I might add, to look at people who overly show their affection in public. I am of African descent, live in Europe and am Western educated, but I must say I do draw the line when it comes to showing that much affection in public. When I mean that much affection in public I mean French-kissing like you sometimes see couples do. I usually make comments to my wife by saying why can’t these people just get a room. I have even seen some bad ones that I frankly think are both being disrespectful to themselves and others around them.
Having said all of that, things are now changing. You might find some African men out there who still think that African women or women in general are not equal to men. A majority of African men, who now live in Europe / Western society and even getting a western education, now realize that in order to co-exist with their “White bride” they need to leave their old ways behind. You will still hear us African men asking our wives where is the food but this is done not out of malicious intent with a backing “you better get in the kitchen and make my food”. It is now done in a more subtle way in the sense that we now cook in the kitchen and help out with household chores especially if our wives are tired coming home from work , taking care of our children or just having a plain old bad day.
