Chanceline Mèvowanou and Carine Danhouan : Two open-hearted feminists

Set of philosophical movements and ideas that share a common goal : define, promote and achieve political equality, economic, cultural, social and legal between women and men, feminism is often misunderstood by some people. And for good reason, the latter think that it is a movement directed against all men. Chanceline Mèvowanou, founder of the feminist group “Young Girls Actors of Development” (It sucks) et Fifonsi Carine Danhouan, member of said group, after giving their opinion re-clarify the meaning of feminism. Read instead!!!

Chanceline Mèvowanou : “Feminism has never killed anyone, but machismo kills women every day”

“Feminism has never killed anyone but machismo kills women every day. Male machismo kills women every day. But feminism hasn't killed any men yet.

Feminism, in the mouth it is said that women are against men, this is simplifying the situation when it is very complex. When I say men you have to understand that it is about the system. We are not saying that men are wolves to deliberately attack women.. We say it when talking about a system. This is why more and more on social networks, I have trouble having a feminist debate. Because not everyone has the same understanding of things. We have the debate by talking about system. And when we talk about systems, everyone is on board.

We must also understand that where there is peace, love, Brotherhood, reciprocity everyone lives there. But where there is domination, rebellion sets in. This is why we need to ask ourselves a lot of questions..

When I say man, it is as a social group and not Christmas man or Sêmèvo man. We are talking about the male social group. As such, there are innocent people, and those who are not. In the speech we feel indexed but we cannot have the debate by saying I am going to talk about Christmas, I'm going to talk about Lopez, let's take them one by one to talk about it because the question is not individual but systemic.

When we say that feminism has a negative connotation, it was born from a lot of feelings. The first is the feeling that women are against men. It's not that. Women are rather against the system of men to violate them.

Many simplify the situation by saying women are against men. This is simplifying the situation when it is not simple. The situation is very complex. Women are against the system and if you are a man who supports this system you will always have the impression that women are against you. And that's normal because you support a system that prevents women from being fulfilled. We want women not to be angry when women's anger is very legitimate in this situation..

In Rwanda, a woman lost her three daughters to war. They were raped then killed. It, their mother, his way of protesting was to get up in the morning and go sit at the gate. She doesn't talk to anyone from morning to night. A lady approached her after having observed her for a long time, this is where she told her story. And the way she lives it is to get up in the morning, go sit at the gate and not talk to anyone.

Everything was taken from him: her three daughters raped then killed. Other women were not going to react like this. Other women will be very angry. Very, very angry. This anger would be very legitimate because no one could return the girls to them. These murderous men were not punished, they are not in prison.

We can't tell women to shut up, not to complain. What we will hope for is that they begin the healing process. So men should not consider this anger as something directed against them.. There are injustices, it’s normal that there are reactions.

Some women are very angry because they lost everything‚ everything was taken from them. We are not against men but we should not expect women to suffer violence and denounce with a smile..

Our mothers were forced to endure a lot, to get up every day and keep moving forward. But what you didn't see is that in the room they continued to educate us, to tell us “I suffered this but you are not going to suffer as my daughter. So you have to fight”.

And here is the result today. Our generation does not want to suffer and continue to be kind women, like our mothers were. So feminism is not brought by white people. Our mothers educated us in the bedrooms, this is a strategy they used. »

Carine Fifonsi Danhouan : “My feminism is against men who are executioners”

“Tell me a single revolution and when it takes place it is well seen by others ? When Fidel Castro made the Cuban revolution, the United States agreed ? When I take Pan-Africanism, have we ever told Africans that we should be friends with Westerners to demand the dignity of Africa?, to demand our freedom ?

At no time do Africans say that. We see how they are always defending the values ​​of Africa. We all see how Pan-Africanism leads its fight. But why when it comes to feminism do we want women to be soft?, let them be docile ?

Shalom Gnambode won in the final ahead of Aziz Dandjinou, they say that feminism is not against men, but my feminism is against men who are executioners. My feminism is not against men in general but it is against men who are executioners. Because you can't be my rapist and I'm still going to beg you. You can't harass me and I'll beg you ; just like you're going to go inside yourself now, and think. Non ! It doesn't happen like that.

Because already these things seem normal. We know that they are repressed by our laws, we know it very well but we refuse to apply and we want women to beg first. If women's rights were respected there would be no need to lead a movement, to build a movement to demand.

So personally I don't care about the negative image that people have of feminism. Shalom Gnambode won in the final ahead of Aziz Dandjinou, it’s such a complex movement. Not all screaming feminists are feminists.

Someone wrote that feminists don't shout, do not denounce violence against men. How many feminists have already committed crimes ? But they say that we should not say that men are rapists, stalkers. But the statistics are there.

Every day you listen, you yourself are a victim, men attack you all the time : messages on social networks, harassment…we don’t see it every day. What is the statistic today of women who are against men, who are executioners for men ? You have to see all this.

In relation to the image of feminism, we will do what we can but we cannot expect him to be acclaimed by everyone. Unless I see Africans cheering for the United States, the West, China, etc. Or if I see the United States cheering Castro. Otherwise any revolution does not expect to be acclaimed. »

S.B. AGON (Coll)