Gender advocate and journalism scholar, Dr. Eileen Manka’a Tabuwe, has recently highlighted what she describes as unconscious gender bias in the sculpture that forms part of the Yaounde Reunification Monument.
In a thought-provoking social media post, Dr. Tabuwe criticised the monument for perpetuating patriarchal values and sidelining women’s representation.
Her critique centres on the statue within the monument, which portrays a father rallying his children.
She argues that this depiction underscores the patriarchal foundation upon which Cameroon was built.
“For a piece of work that was done in 1974, before the thought of me was conceived, I only took a good look at this sculpture a few weeks ago and it spoke so much to me of the culture that we grew up in,” Dr. Tabuwe wrote.
“Patriarchy is not just a construction; it comes from lived experiences and expressions like the one we see before us. A sculpture that is meant to hold the light of the country has one man, three boys, and one girl. The woman is invisible. It is strange in a country where women are the majority. After all, it was done by a man – not strange.”
The Yaounde Reunification Monument, a major landmark in Cameroon, was built between 1973 and 1976 during the presidency of Ahmadou Ahidjo.
The monument was designed by Armand Salomon, a French national, and constructed with the help of Cameroonian sculptor Gedeon Mpando and Jesuit father Engelbert Mveng.
The monument consists of two main structures: a spiral tower symbolising the reunification of French East Cameroon and English-speaking Southern Cameroons in 1961, and the sculpture of a father rallying his children.
The statue depicts a father figure holding a torch in his right hand, symbolising freedom and unity, while surrounded by four boys and one girl.
Dr. Tabuwe points out that the portrayal of the girl in the sculpture reinforces passive and dependent roles for women.
“Next thing I notice is the fact that the girl is completely passive and totally dependent on the father,” she said.
“While the boys are portrayed as active and struggling to reach the top, the girl is already comfortably seated. For some that may be a privilege, but what does that get us? She has no expression on her face, just sitting there doing nothing as if she is not an actor in whatever is going on.”
Dr. Tabuwe’s observations draw attention to the broader cultural implications of such representations.
“This is the image that culturally, boys and girls have grown up to accept. Boys have to work while girls sit back and relax, leading to toxic masculine and feminine behaviours that negatively impact our society,” she wrote.
The monument, constructed during a period with minimal advocacy for gender equality in Cameroon, may not have been intended to propagate gender bias.
However, the contemporary interpretation of the statue reveals underlying issues that resonate with ongoing struggles for gender equality.