International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day!

Did you know there is such a thing as Women's Day? I had no idea until I moved to Cameroon! I first learned about it when I saw so many women wearing the same fabric, you see each year there is a special fabric print for Women's Day. It is the “trend of the year” for sure. But the movement goes beyond just fashion. In a developing country like Cameroon, Women's Day is an acknowledgment of the plights of women and in Cameroon there are many.

Another thing I learned when I first moved to Cameroon was the Pidgin word, “ashia” (the “I” is silent). If you walk the streets, you will hear it a hundred times. It is more than a greeting. “Ashia” is used when you see someone working hard, struggling, or in pain. It is a way to show sympathy, but even more it is way of saying “I appreciate you” or “I see you.”

To be seen is so important. For generations, women around the world have not been seen. Their needs, struggles, abuses, dreams, hopes, and human rights have not been seen or appreciated. Today, many women around the world and even in America are invisible. As a woman of privilege, I did not see. I have never had to worry about where my next meal would come from, if I would be safe in my home, if I could find warm shelter for the night, if I could could an education, if I would succumb to a health problem because I could not afford healthcare, etc. These struggles were not in my eye sight. “Out of sight out of mind.” Living in a developing country, my eyes have been opened for sure.

So today on Women's Day, there are many women in Cameroon to whom I would like to say “Ashia- I see you!”

• To the woman Charlie and I saw carrying a giant load of wood on your head (the one to whom Charlie said, “Whoa!” when she saw you): You work hard to ensure you and your family not only survive, but thrive! Ashia- I see you!
• To the girls in the Far North Region that were abducted by Boko Haram 2 years agao: You are not forgotten. Ashia- I see you!
• To the thirteen-year-old girl that was taken out school so that she could get married and provide her family with dowry money: You are worth more than gold. Ashia- I see you!
• To the women whose husbands abuse them in the privacy of their homes: you have done nothing to deserve this. Ashia- I see you!
• To the young girls that have had their breast flatten in painful ways by your families so as to discourage boys from looking at you: you were made perfectly. Ashia- I see you!
• To the mothers raising children: your efforts will not be in vain. Ashia- I see you!
• To the women who did not consent: you are not damaged. Ashia- I see you!
• To my missionary friends that have left home, friends, and family: your faith encourages me. Ashia- I see you!
• To my daughter and the next generation of women: we have made some progress in the fight for women to be seen so that you can continue to make more strides. Do not close your eyes. Ashia- I see you!

Women of Cameroon: Ashia- I see you, but more importantly Jesus sees you.

“God never overlooks a single sparrow. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on your head!” (Luke 12:6-7 MSG).