When
you ask a typical Nigerian male what a truly good woman should be, he
is sure to tell you that a good woman should be slow to speech, full of
respect, a virgin, a chronic monogamist, one who never gets angry, and
of course, one who must always stand behind her husband, never
challenging nor disobeying him. Once this answer is tendered; the
typical Nigerian audience is bound to cheer it with a resounding, and
redounding round of applause.
Nigerians and Africans in general still tenaciously cling to this
anachronistic view of women. They vociferously categorize women as
weaker vessels and expect them to accept this view, even in the face of
compelling evidences that women are in no way weaker than men. This is
not particularly surprising in a country roughly divided half and half
between Christians and Muslims; two religions that flagrantly posit that
women are the bringers of sin, and are substandard beings whose
existence was facilitated by a rib, borrowed from a man’s chest (So God
ran out of bones or what?)
But is this really the truth? Should women be relegated to the
background, or arrogated the position of second class citizens simply
because of their sex? A capital No! Women are as brilliant, strong, and
responsible as men. The likes of Paul Gilliard show us that women can be
as responsible as an angel. Women like Hilary Clinton who have
withstood numerous challenges and competitions, show us that in
strength, women are not lacking. Our very own Dora Akunyilli shows us
that women can be ferociously brilliant when they so desire? What reason
then, have we men, to discriminate against women?
For those of us who are asking the question; Is there gender
discrimination in Nigeria? Why should the virginity status of females
matter when no one cares to find out about that of males? Why should a
woman be expected to house her anger and discontentment against all
odds? Why should women be expected to be subjects of their husbands,
when they are actually entering a contract, entered into by two equal
humans? Why do men commit promiscuity and go scot-free, only for women
to commit same, and become objects of ridicule in the society? Why
should women be told what they wear and what they mustn’t wear
Yeah, there is discrimination in formidable proportions and it should
be stopped! Most Nigerians laugh hysterically when the idea of a female
president is brought up. Their only reason for this is usually
“how can a woman rule over us?” and nothing more. They don’t care to
hear what plans she has for the transformation of the nation. They don’t
care to find out her antecedents. They don’t care about her passion for
the nation. So long as she is a woman, she is not an option!
This, is disenfranchisement and it is even most painful to note that
women, who are all absorbed in religious fanaticism have accepted their
inferior roles, and seldom stand to challenge it. But the fact that the
truth is seen as a lie doesn’t make it a lie. Female discrimination
should be stopped anywhere it is perpetrated
In this time of economic depression and security jingoism, there is a
dire dearth of talent and innovation which can never be filled if we
continue to discriminate against women, some of whom could provide the
panacea to our myriad of problems if equipped with a conducive
environment for self actualization and independence.
As for women who have come to see themselves as inferiors to men that
can never compete with men; perhaps, silence is golden in that respect.
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