Leeneia, about what you said about how women may be treated in modern-day West African countries from what I've read about traditional Akan-speaking people in Ghana (the largest ethnic group there). I don't know much about West African cultures, but Akan-speaking people (Azizi could possibly add more stuff) have a matrilineal system of descent, and women (not all, but those of rank) play important roles. Of course, this doesn't mean that misogyny isn't common there, or that in traditional Akan /general west African cultures, women weren't (or aren't) considered subservient to men.

About sexism in general- (although in very traditional Chinese culture, even in Malaysia, where my parents are from, sexism is common because of a preference for boys, who carry the family name), I'm just saying that in *my* experience, (and I've never been to any country in Africa, so I can't say anything about sexism there), I haven't really experienced much sexism. At least not form the teenage boys I know. I've probably been lucky. Also, I'm 17, going to be 18 in two months from now. So I probably haven't experienced as much sexism, subtle or overt, as an adult woman, or girls in previous generations, have.