Is gender equality possible in Nigeria?

THE culture in Nigeria heavily discriminates against women. Our attitude to the female gender is borne largely out of ignorance and lower state of evolution. The more evolved a society becomes, the higher the understanding, refined the cultural practices and the enhanced sense of equality.

Countries that treat their women-folk with respect and dignity and practice gender equality have advanced and will continue to do so.

The attitude of discrimination is nothing short of “machismo-an exaggerated sense of masculinity or unwarranted accentuation of male ego.” Unfortunately, men have found it most expedient to suppress the role and potential of women even in religious cycles.

According to Professor Dele Owolawi, “the only means of redressing this grossly skewed situation is for men to seek the light of reason and wisdom which only comes through genuine spiritual understanding. To go mundane in my analogy, the ‘tail’ of a coin or paper money is never inferior to the ‘head’ hence there’s no inferior gender all are equal and must have equal rights under the law.

The male over-bloated ego must be deflated and we must begin to see that no divine law, irrespective of how it is coined by mortal minds and twisted by human hand(s), has conferred eternal superiority on one gender over the other.”

That being said, the girl child must be given rights and equality as a matter of course without demanding it and to women generally. One of the fastest ways of seeking equality with men is to build capacity needed to compete with men in the corporate environment and elsewhere. Governmental and religious legislation to encourage this in Nigeria is needed in this area.

• By Simon Abah,