Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same
rights and opportunities across all sectors of society including economic
participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors,
aspirations and needs of woman and men are equally valued and favoured.
There is an adage that
says “what is good for the goose is good for the gander”. It is high time the
society knew that all the rights given to men or boys are absolutely
well
deserved by the women and the girls. Is hope alive?
Gender equality is not women’s issue but should concern and
fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen as a
human rights issue and as a precondition for, and an indicator of, sustainable
people-oriented development.
From a psychological point of view, it means any person whose
right is deprived is as good as saying he or she is being mentally
imprisoned/caged/constrained.
Do not forget, women and girls have the same psychological make-up
as the men and boys. They have the same sense of reasoning, the same ability to
think. Now, put yourself in their shoes, see through their eyes and reason
through their mind. Then ask yourself this rhetorical question: “how will you
feel if you are deprived of your right as a human being?”
Now, imagine a woman that has lived 50 years on earth and
have endured gender inequality/discrimination/restriction. It is as good as
saying such woman has been mentally imprisoned/caged for 50 years of her life.
It is widely known that Nigeria is
blessed with many natural resources which are yet untapped but one of those
natural resources, which is also the most important, are the women in Nigeria. With
my little knowledge about life, an untapped natural resources will remain fallow
or wasted if not discovered, tapped and used. The peculiar but also the devastating
thing about these natural resources is that once not discovered, tapped or
used, it will die and “will not” be recovered again. Is hope alive?
Imagine the natural brain-resources
that have been wasted over the years because of gender inequality,
discrimination and restriction. These woman and girls have been forced to be
useless to themselves and the societies. Not being useful to themselves is
still better compared to the fact that they are indirectly adding problems to
the society and for the government because they are more of a liability to
themselves and the society at large.
These women are being forced to be
dependent all their lives. In short, I would say that Nigeria is not a freedom
state. In any colony, true freedom comes when “every” entity, (irrespective of
gender, ethnic group, religion, etc,) of that colony boldly enjoys equal rights,
roles and responsibilities. True freedom comes when each entity in the colony
is independent of the other, especially in the area of gender and mental issues,
which are very sensitive.
Looking at Nigeria as a colony today,
can we boldly say that the female folks are enjoying the same freedom and
rights the male folks are enjoying?
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OLUKAYODE FADAIRO
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