Creativity Quote by Sona Jobarteh

The most strategic move here is the pivot from grievance to invitation. Jobarteh leads with “commitment”, not “anger”, framing change as a shared project rather than a gendered tug-of-war. It’s a musician’s instinct: you don’t win an audience by scolding it; you win by bringing people into the rhythm. The line “I adore men too” isn’t a concession so much as a disarming chord. It anticipates the predictable backlash - the eye-roll that feminism equals man-hating - and neutralizes it before it can harden into defensiveness.

The subtext is about power without saying the word. Naming “husbands, brothers and uncles” sketches the everyday architecture of patriarchy: not abstract “men”, but the intimate gatekeepers of permission, reputation, and resources. In many communities, especially in West African social life where family networks can function as both safety net and surveillance system, these figures can either widen a woman’s choices or quietly shrink them. Jobarteh’s phrasing recognizes that change often depends on what happens at home before it ever reaches parliament or policy.

There’s also an insistence on agency: “support us” doesn’t mean “save us”. She’s asking men to stop being obstacles and start being infrastructure. Culturally, it’s a call for allyship that doesn’t steal the spotlight - the kind that looks like backing women’s education, careers, and autonomy without demanding applause. The intent is pragmatic: reduce friction, recruit allies, keep the focus on forward motion.