UP till the 21st century, the need to free the female folk from deprivations continues to hit the front burner of campaigns by social activists, religious bodies, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) – such gender imbalance in a male-dominated world are painfully being fired by certain cultures and religions, and there is no gainsaying that these values are detrimental to the breakthrough that today’s world needs in the areas of politics, business , and technology.
I grew up hearing the cliché that when you educate the girl-child, you have educated the world… and it gets clearer to me each time, because indeed, the family unit which is largely ‘managed’ by the woman is the most viable tool of measuring the society. Therefore, it defies logic why any society that desires the best would relegate the girl child.
At a recent edition of the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF),in Canada, I saw a documentary entitled ‘He Named Me Malala’, and I was thrilled by a ‘little’ girl’s determination to change the world such that, I said to myself, if the historic warrior Queen Aminatu is an old story, here is a current true life account of a girl who defied all odds, battled religious idiosyncrasies, and risked her life for the right of the girl child to education.
‘He Named Me Malala’ is an intimate portrait of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban, and severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The then 15-year-old was singled out, along with her father, for advocating for girls’ education, and the attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.
“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world”. This statement resonates from the campaign of this young girl who, at a time, was also in Nigeria to see former President Goodluck Jonathan over the abducted Chibok girls by the dreaded Boko Haram. It is heartwarming that not only is this campaign accepted by discerning minds around the world, the documentary, shot by Davis Guggenheim received an Oscar nomination for 2016.
Going by the incident of the Chibok girls, the Queen Amina movie is another platform to tell the girl child that no one is actually holding them down; cultures and traditions cannot. There has always been conspiracy against either male child or female child…
In Nigeria, the partnership between Bank of Industry (BOI) and Nollywood, through Nollyfund, is coming out with the story of the legendary Queen Amina of Zazzau to re-enact this crusade. This is expected to be a double-dose for the Nigerian film industry, with the campaign for the right, equality of the girl child in every sphere of the society on one hand, and the production of a film that would give it a global appeal.
This Nigeran story remains one of the highly recorded global stories about women who ruled their kingdoms with the strength likened to that of men, if not stronger.
It is heartwarming to know that in today’s world where exuberance is the excuse to not relinquishing power to the youths, the story of Amina becomes apt, telling us that not only are the young capable of taking up leadership positions, the female child, often perceived as the weaker vessel can perform wonders.
Going by the incident of the Chibok girls, the Queen Amina movie is another platform to tell the girl child that no one is actually holding them down; cultures and traditions cannot. There has always been conspiracy against either male child or female child, but when they are well parented and they decide where they are going, they will always get there.
Queen Amina broke the Jinx about 500 years ago, irrespective of what tradition and culture was saying, she sat on the throne. She was the world general, having ruled 13 emirates.
Queen Amina also lived in the age of a man’s world. In an ancient world of brutal conflicts, ferocious animal, suppressive timeless customs and reckless, heroic exploits. She must resolutely carve out a part for her life in the face of tradition and male dominance. To grasp her destiny, she must prove herself not just as able, but more capable than any man alive.