Tomorrow, March 8, women will be in the spotlight. It will be celebrated all over the world. But in Burkina Faso, the event takes place in a particular context so that we want to say that the 8-Mars follow each other but are not alike. The proof, if any, is that on occasion, no official ceremony is planned. The authorities, obviously, have other fish to fry so they don’t have the spirit to party. They did not even have an official loincloth printed as was done in previous years. That it is therefore over, the time when March 8 gave rise to feasting or bamboola both in Ouagadougou and in the provincial capitals across the country. The festive aspect, we remember, had taken precedence over everything so that there was no room for reflection on the living conditions of women, which, however, are deplorable. But might it be otherwise when we know that March 8, at the time, had, so to speak, taken on a strictly political dimension? It was an opportunity to call on women to mobilize not around their common cause, but to support this or that leader. Who does not remember the pranks of the then First Lady, Chantal Compaoré, not to name her, who had practically made March 8 her “thing”? In any case, times have changed. Because not only has the regime changed hands, but also the country is going through difficult times linked to the food crisis.
The most urgent thing now is to mobilize all intelligence for the liberation of our country
Indeed, it would be indecent for the authorities, when they are calling for contributions to the war effort, to allow themselves to get involved in the organization of the March 8 festivities. In a country where “everything is urgent”, this might be seen as recklessness. And that’s not all. Because, how to organize a game of bamboola while compatriots, chased from their respective places of origin, wander in nature and struggle to eat their fill? How can we pass the time celebrating while armed groups kill and massacre in certain villages? The context, to be honest, does not lend itself to it. The most urgent thing now is to mobilize all intelligence for the liberation of our country, whose existence is threatened by armed terrorist groups. This is why we must salute the foresight of the authorities of the transition who made a kind of blackout on March 8, even if some, for mercantile reasons, try to make it an event despite everything. They were right. Because it’s all regarding priority. That said, isn’t it time to take advantage of the opportunity to rethink March 8 by doing more so that, far from being a mere celebration, this date offers the opportunity, through reflection, to find solutions to the well-known problems of women? Rather than printing loincloths and other gadgets, isn’t there a need, in the future, to support rural women even more, especially in the promotion of income-generating activities with a view to their financial empowerment? The time is no longer for speeches. Concrete actions are needed.
Sidzabda