Thomas Sankara et la condition féminine: un discours révolutionnaire?

2.1.3 The positive woman.

A political demonstration cannot begin only on one degraded image of the woman. Victim or culprit, the woman cannot thus be carrying future. Sankara must necessarily bring in its speech the image of the positive, model woman possible to follow.

Sankara builds the image of the deserving woman. It expresses it through a network of associations. The woman is identified thus with « protective tenderness », with « innocence », with « generosity », with « dignity », with « honor », with « hospitality ». It reveals qualities of the woman thanks to adapted stylistic devices as shows it following hyperbolic accumulation:

« This human, vast being and complex conglomerate of pains and joys, loneliness in the abandonment, and however creative cradle of immense humanity, this being of suffering, frustration and humiliation, and yet, inexhaustible source of happiness for each one of us; Incomparable place of any affection, pivot of the courages and even most unexpected; this being known as weak but incredible inspiring force of the ways which lead to the honor, this being, carnal truth and spiritual certainty; This being, women it is you! (...) »^161(*)

The setting on standby of the word woman in this quotation translates a will to emphasize the woman. The use of connection with adversative value, such as « however », « however », « but », allows to establish a contrast between the fate of the woman and her intrinsic value. The woman shines by her love of the family. Metaphroric periphrases comparing the woman to one « vital center which welds all the members of the family »^162(*) or with one « pillar of the good family being »^163(*) clearly define the place impossible to circumvent of this one in the family.

To attract the sympathy of the women, Sankara adopts an eulogistic tone at their place at the end of his speech. It compares the woman to a teacher, with a guide. « The women ensure the permanence of our people, the women ensure to become it of humanity, the women ensure the continuation of our work, the women ensure the pride of each man »^164(*) The anaphoric repetition « the women ensure » give in the passing the character of a profession of faith. Sankara believes in the positive woman of which it draws contours. The woman is not any more the revolutionary partner, it becomes the woman rédemptrice, that which makes of the man the possible actor of the revolution. « Any proud man, any strong man, draws his energies near a woman, the inexhaustible source, the key of the victories are always between the hands of the woman. It is near the woman, sister or partner, that each one of us finds the start of the honor and dignity »^165(*). Terms « honor », « dignity » and « indulgence » open and close the speech of Thomas Sankara of March 8, 1987. That confirms its will to put the women in first line of the revolutionary combat and to assert for those of the civic rights and political equal.

The argumentation of Sankara, to cause the adhesion of the public to its project of company, is based on a contrasted image of the woman, with the measurement of the phases of its political speech.

* ¹⁶¹ GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 222.

* ¹⁶² GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 231.

* ¹⁶³ GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 231.

* ¹⁶⁴ GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 244.

* ¹⁶⁵ I GAKUNZI (D), COp cit., p. 244.