Global News Post: Immigration

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">By Abdoulaye Bah<o:p></o:p></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvIGa6ppPajBTlreDc37bLSBsfUcD1PMJIq8tIxqe0ptclr4QisC6dJYlvsYo-KbYGDtJI-S3nY17VWvPjEYAN-EWQ4AwVwklM6ypEhWJ7YUvcwpwcz22C1SJoArEwWf2n0QMwWkPSE/s1600/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGvIGa6ppPajBTlreDc37bLSBsfUcD1PMJIq8tIxqe0ptclr4QisC6dJYlvsYo-KbYGDtJI-S3nY17VWvPjEYAN-EWQ4AwVwklM6ypEhWJ7YUvcwpwcz22C1SJoArEwWf2n0QMwWkPSE/s320/phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpg.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><st1:place w:st="on"><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;">Europe</span></i></st1:place><i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 8pt;"> - Satellite image : Creative commons<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><a href="http://www.groundreport.com/GlobalVoices"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Global Voices</span></a></span></i></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> ---<b>Nowadays, it is a common occurrence to witness African-born women having successful careers in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>. Despite the evident challenges, many of them have also distinguished themselves in politics. Still, it was not so long ago that such success would have seemed impossible. To achieve greatness, these women have often come a long way, both literally and figuratively.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In order to better appreciate the progress made, one needs to think back to the 19th century and consider the image of black women in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> then. For the purpose of this article, we will only address the story of women from the African Diaspora who have been elected to positions of leadership in countries other than the colonial powers that previously ruled their home countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A history of racism<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The story of the “Hottentot Venus” is symptomatic of the relationship between the West and African women in the last two centuries. Sébastien Hervieu, an Africa correspondent for Le Monde newspaper in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, tells the story of Sarah Baartman from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>, better known as the “Hottentot Venus”. In an article published in October 2010 in his blog afriquedusud.blog.lemonde.fr, he reviews [fr] Abdellatif Kechiche's [fr] film about her tragic story, Black Venus:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At the beginning of the 19th century, this servant was brought to <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> and became a fairground attraction because of her prominent physical attributes. Some “scientists” used her presence to support the theory that the “black race” was inferior. When she died at only 25, her genitals and her brain were placed in jars of formaldehyde. Her skeleton and a molding of her body were exhibited at the <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Man</st1:placename> in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city>. It was only in 2002 that <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> agreed to return Sarah Baartman's remains to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region>, thereby drawing to a close a long running legal and diplomatic imbroglio [fr].<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sarah Baartman died in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Paris</st1:place></st1:city> on 29th September 1815. More than 100 years later, the Khoïkhoï people in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> called on Nelson Mandela to demand the restitution of Sarah's remains. The demand was met with the refusal of the French authorities and the scientific community citing the inalienable heritage of science and the state, but <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> eventually repatriated the body to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> where, in accordance with the rites of her people, it was purified and placed on a bed of dried herbs which were set alight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Norway</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Two centuries later, the position of black women in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> has drastically changed. Amongst others, many have now been elected to political office.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> is one of these women, and one of the most interesting because she shows the contradictions that still exist within some countries. She had to step down from a ministerial post in the Norwegian government just four months into her job. An article on Grioo.com sets out her career [fr]:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Born in Martinique, 44 year old Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen gained her post as Minster for Children and Equality in the centre-left Norwegian government on 18th October 2007 […] She is married to Terje Osmundsen, a politician and member of the Norwegian conservative party. After their marriage she took Norwegian nationality and renounced her French nationality as the country does not allow dual nationality.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In an interview with Patrick Karam from the website fxgpariscaraibe.com in 2008 she explains [fr] some of the things that played in her favour in being appointed and why she stepped down following a controversy over an alleged conflict of interest in the hiring of a political appointee:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> there must be parity of representation between the two sexes within the administrative councils, with a minimum of 40% women. We are also pursuing a policy which encourages men to take more responsibility at home, leaving women able to pursue a career. I also worked on child endangerment, violence, abuse… I worked for four months without criticism and it was a real success. The criticism began with the appointment of an ombudsman for children. In hindsight everyone can see it was something being made out of nothing. I gave in to the power of the media."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Sweden</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Nyamko Sabuni [fr] is a former minister in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region>, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Born in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Burundi</st1:place></st1:country-region> in 1969, her father fled the country due to persecution. She was elected to the Riksday as a member of the parliament in 2002, and at 37 years old became a Swedish government minister from 2006 to 2010. An article published on congopage.com sets out [fr] her progress.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">In 1981, at the age of 12, she arrived in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sweden</st1:place></st1:country-region> with her mother and three of her brothers and sisters. There she was reunited with her father, an opposition politician imprisoned several times in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Congo</st1:place></st1:country-region> (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), who had come to the Nordic country with the help of Amnesty International.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Netherlands</st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Born in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Somalia</st1:country-region></st1:place> in 1969 and circumcised at the age of 5, Ayaan Hirsi Ali went to a Muslim girl’s school. Subjugated by her parents, her clan and her religion up to the age of 23, she took advantage of a trip to visit family in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> to flee and escape a forced marriage. Taking refuge in <st1:city w:st="on">Holland</st1:city>, she adopted Western liberal values to the extent that she became a young member of parliament in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">The Hague</st1:place></st1:city> and declared herself to be an atheist. After having worked in the country's social services she knows, at first hand, the horrors tolerated against women in the name of multiculturalism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">A fierce opponent of some of the aspects of Islam and African traditions that go against basic human rights, she founded an NGO whose aims are set out, on her website Ayaan Hirsiali in the following terms:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"In response to ongoing abuses of women’s rights, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and her supporters established the AHA Foundation in 2007 to help protect and defend the rights of women in the West from oppression justified by religion and culture."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success

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