Quote by Wangari Maathai
It was easy to persecute me without people feeling ashamed. It was easy to vilify me and project me as a woman who was not following the tradition of a 'good African woman' and as a highly educated elitist who was trying to show innocent African women ways of doing things that were not acceptable to African men.
Summary
This quote reflects the experience of being persecuted and vilified for not conforming to societal expectations and gender norms. The speaker suggests that their actions were seen as a departure from the traditional role of a "good African woman" and as elitist because of their education. They attribute their mistreatment to a larger narrative that depicts them as trying to influence African women to adopt unacceptable customs according to African men. The quote highlights the ease at which such judgment and prejudice were directed towards them without others feeling a sense of shame.