Thomas Sankara et la condition féminine: un discours révolutionnaire?

SPEECH AND MEDIA ECHO

Convinced that « nobody is more deeply punished than the man owing to the fact that the woman is maintained in slavery »^81(*) ? Thomas Sankara « the emancipation of the woman like a precondition to the development of Africa conceives ! »^82(*). The speech sankarist has a determining function on the political level, it has an obvious teaching role and especially seeks to convince the burkinabé people of the need for releasing the woman.

2.1. HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND FEMINIST SPEECH OF WILL SANKARA

The feminist speech of the burkinabé leader appears on precise dates , to some extent, institutionalized. The ritualisation more surely makes it possible to fix the attention on a major problem, and that of the condition of the women in is for the new revolutionary capacity. March 8, dates from the celebration of the international day of the woman, constitutes an important opportunity. Thomas Sankara benefits from this day to launch a great operation of mobilization of the voltaic women (Burkinabé) around the ideals of the Revolution of August^83(*). One of the speeches most built on the sales level of Sankara undoubtedly remains, that which it does on March 8, 1987 in Ouagadougou, as the Gakunzi analysis^84(*).

Another occasion of institutional nature is the commemoration of the date of August 4 which marks the advent of the revolution. It is one moment privileged to pledge and to determine the challenges to take up. Indeed, at the time of August 4, 1985, the women take part massively in the large popular parade. « The new popular army grants a real place to the woman »^85(*).

Sankara uses of this advisability to take a very radical measure in favor of the woman. « We will make so that the wages cease being the only property of the man to become a family property »^86(*). The idea of vital wages for the housewife has been just posed like a socio-economic guiding principle of the revolutionary company.

In September 1983, Thomas Sankara holds a meeting in Dori. He largely develops his thought to with it on the emancipation of the woman. But, it is necessary to wait until on October 2, 1983, ultimate occasion to make the Political Speech of Orientation (D.O.P). The DOP wants to be a bible of the revolutionist and reserve an important passage to « The voltaic woman, her role in the democratic and popular revolution »^87(*). Sunday July 15, 1984, Thomas Sankara meets the women at the house of the people to invite them to organize itself for their release. At the time of the national week of the woman of 1st at March 8, 1985, Thomas Sankara, during a maintenance, makes a comparative description of the revolutionary woman reactionary and that^88(*).

All these great revolutionary masses, these festivals and these commemorations make it possible to president Sankara to carry his message to the borders of Faso. The revolutionary leader likes the direct communication with the people. That has the advantage, according to him, to support a strong mobilization. Thus twice, it directly meets the women of all provinces with Ouagadougou : July 15, 1984 and on March 8, 1987. It becomes, by this skew, it « captain populates »

* ⁸¹ ZIEGLER (J), victory of overcome. Oppression and cultural resistance, Paris, Threshold, 1988, p. 271.

* ⁸² MARTENS (L), COp .cit., p 22.

* ⁸³ DAMIBA (B), «  Why one day of the woman  ?  », in African Crossroads N 822 of March 16, 1984, p. 31.

* ⁸⁴ GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., pp. 12-13.

* ⁸⁵ «  Large popular parade of August 4  : the women were splendid  », in Sidwaya N 323 of Monday August 5, 1985, p. 1.

* ⁸⁶ Sidwaya N 326 of Monday August 5, 1985, p. 3.

* ⁸⁷ GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 63.

* ⁸⁸ GAKUNZI (D), COp., cit., pp. 115-116