When it comes to how one prefers to have their hair, it seems as if African women are fighting a losing battle. Society keeps on controlling us to wear hair that is deemed as acceptable. From a very tender age women’s hair is relaxed with chemicals to straighten it. Now women who have natural hair at work are told that their afro hair is unprofessional.
This happens to most African women who live and work abroad. These individuals who are desperate to make a living are encouraged to wear a weave to disguise their afro hair. Some of these individuals have weaves so that their hair looked more like of their colleagues. Speaking to BBC, one African lady said, “I am West African, and I work at a consultancy firm in London. I am always being made to feel that my natural hair gives the impression that I am unprofessional.”
Our very own Fify Loewen continues to be an inspiration to women who want to keep their hair natural. This Gaborone based photographer, faced criticism when she stopped putting chemical relaxant on her hair, she had to confront a notice that healthy hair is unkempt. “I’m a photographer and I’ve been told we have accurately a hair you’d design for someone who does a “creative” pursuit like mine. But my friends with bureau jobs contend they can’t go to work like this as it isn’t deemed professional,” she said.
We hope that this will inspire young professional women who are victims of this kind of bullying. Your natural hair is perfect, so there is no need to ‘fix’ it! Be brave enough to go to work with their natural hair despite what people may say.
