Women occupy a paradoxical status in traditional African communities. They possess power and authority in their own right, but also live in some societies that have been reluctant to value the role of women equally alongside that of men. Africa may have started with matriarchal societies, but these were replaced with the intervention of both [Page 724]Arab and European religions and customs. Now the overwhelming majority of African societies are patriarchal. As in all patriarchal societies, women are generally viewed as being second to men. However, they are not considered inferior. In myths, legends, proverbs, and day-to-day life, women are portrayed as partners with God in the creation of human life and, at the same time, the cause of the estrangement between humanity and God; ...