The Nation Newspaper

Tag: equality

  • Activists, council boss demand equality, justice, human dignity

    On December 10, the world marked the 70th Human Rights Day as declared by the United Nations. ADEBISI ONANUGA and DIVINE OKOLI report that the Crime Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON), in collaboration with the Somolu Local Government, of Lagos State, marked the day with the graduation of new human rights activists.

    Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 yearly. It was the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.This year  marks the 70th anniversary of the declaration.

    The theme for this year’s celebration  is: “Let’s stand up for equality, justice and human dignity”.

    ANon-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Crime Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON)  celebrated the day at the Somolu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) secretariat, Lagos.

    The event attracted other human rights organisations, Police officers.  Awards were presented to some people for their contribution to the protection of rights.

    Somolu Local Government Chairman Mr Abdul Hammed Salawu and CRIVIFON Executive Director Mrs Gloria Egbuji said a  society which abandoned equality, justice, human dignity and rights were at risk.

    They,therefore, urged every citizen to stand up for their rights and that of others when they were trampled upon.

    The event attracted many human rights activists and organisations, including Friends of Kind Hearts Foundation.

    Salawu, who was represented by his Personal Assistant, Babajide Maraiyesa, charged human rights activists to be alive to their duties.

    He stressed that as activists, they were epected to protect the dignity of those whose rights were trampled upon by either individuals and law enforcement agents.

    “Most times our rights are being trampled upon because we do not know the extension of human rights. We need to brace up to our responsibilities because there is nothing to be compared to perfect equality, justice and human dignity,” Salawu said.

    “We need to frequently ask questions about human rights, consult human right activists and lawyers all the time to become conversant with the constitution on what constitute our rights,” he said.

    Mrs Egbuji, who is the founder of  CRIVIFON, regretted that one major problem people face is being ignorant of their rights.

    Mrs Egbuji, who was represented by the Director of Legal Services and Projects, Mr Evaristus Aloke, stressed the need for everybody to stand up to his  rights and that of others.

    She urged the people to stand up for equality, justice and human dignity.

    “The UN human rights declaration sets out universal values and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations. It establishes equal dignity of every person.

    “The dignity of millions have been uplifted and the foundation for a more just world has been laid,” she said.

    Noting that the provision in the Universal Declaration were yet to be realised, she said: “The very fact that it has stood the test of time is a testimony to the enduring universality of its perennial values of equality, justice and human dignity. The universal declaration of human rights empowers us all. The principles enshrined therein are as relevant as they were in1948.”

    Mrs Egbuji remarked that the UN Declaration of Human Rights  remained a milestone document, which everyone is entitled regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, or political.

    “We can take action in our own  lives to uphold the rights that protect us all and thereby promote the very importance of all human beings,” she stated.

    She disclosed plans by the foundation to set up a skill acquisition centre for victims of human rights abuses, domestic violence, widows and unemployed youths to get empowerment.

    She called on well-meaning Nigerians to assist the NGO to raise about  N5million for the centre.

    She claimed that CRIVIFON was the first organisation to set up human rights desk in all police divisions in Lagos Command and in others and also train Police men and women on human rights.

    So far, she said, the organisation has trained over 3,000 victims of rape and domestic violence, murder, human rights violation, fraud victims and victims of disaster and catastrophe, among others.

    Mrs Egbuji said the foundation also collaborates with Nigerian Prisons to release those wrongfully detained because they had nobody to assist them, lamenting that most prison inmates are those who were unable pay fines ranging from N10,000 to N20,000.

    The organisation, she further stated, has trained over 20,000 policemen and military personnel, traditional rulers on the effectiveness of mediation and youths on peace building, among others.

    National Coordinator CRIVIFON, Titus Ofurum, said  the organisation was formed to tackle those human rights violators.

    Ofurum said the organisation was behind a bill signed into law, which ensured that victims of gun shots receive medical treatment with or without police reports.

    He commended Mrs Egbuji for ensuring that the vision of the NGO was attained.

    He urged religious organisations and individuals to partner  CRIVIFON to release innocent victims who were awaiting trial.

    He appealed for sponsors for the printing of one million copies of the “know Your Right Information Booklet” to help educate people about their rights.

    The coincided with the graduation of 15 human rights. Iyida Ejiofor, the class governor of Course 15, said the 1999 Constitution,  the  Universal Declaration and African Declaration on Human Rights demanded  that the dignity and rights of individuals be respected.

    Ejiofor regretted the rising rate of crime and that the society is ignorant of the laws and their rights, particularly the offenders who do not know they also have rights.

    “There are rules guiding arrests which must be respected and observed by the police in the performance of their duties,” he said.

    The graduands included  Iyida Ejiofor, Aiyegbusi Abiodun, Maduagwu Gobril, Njoku Ken, Augustine Madu, Amusa Michael, Mrs Anyawun Tochukwu, Adebare Alani and Daudu Olugbenga.

    Awards were presented to some people for promoting human rights.

    Mrs Egbuji and  Mr Ofurum received awards.

    Other awardees were the Baale of Ishen-Olu, Ogun State, Chief Abdul-Rahman Adekunle Disu, Eze Ndigbo of Mushin, Eze Peter C. Umeh, Ezechimere 1, Mrs Rosaline Shaibu.

    Others were the organisation’s Legal Advisor in Ogun State, Obikoya Ezekiel; Administrator-General Hospital Shomolu, Mrs Ajao Adebukola; Crime Officer Alade Division, Shomolu ASP Funmilayo Olaleye.

  • Need for gender equality

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

    Those countries that treat her women folk with respect and dignity, who practice gender equality have advanced and will continue to do so.

    This kind of attitude of discrimination is nothing short of “machismo-an exaggerated sense of masculinity or unwarranted accentuation of male ego.”

    Unfortunately, menfolks have found it most expedient to suppress the role and potential of women folk even in religious cycles.

    According to Professor Dele Owolawi “The only means of redressing this grossly skewed situation is for man 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 pruned down 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.”

    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 them in the corporate environment and elsewhere. Governmental and religious legislation to encourage this is needed in this area. This is why I prefer non-material leadership: the provision of thought leadership instead of emphasis on the material.

    The talk by men about a woman’s place being only in the kitchen, is inchoate but well entrenched, where they are not only not seen but can’t be heard, and must end if the north is to develop.

    It is for such women that men need not go off at a tangent when making speeches, so as to free girls from horrendous subjugation. I mean, casual statements about the role of women can be taken literally by weak people to deal women a blow while wearing satanic rictus.

    But what is key to social justice? Isn’t it political equality and human dignity?

    Women should have a pluralism of options on how best to live fulfilled lives and contribute to society and not be subjected to a farrago of endless bad options.

    The high degree of grovelling slavery suffered by women is the result of the society they live in. Treating women with patrician disdain is a matter of Nigerian pride. It is obvious that women do not lack leadership qualities, but they lack the space to compete not with man but with man-made rules.

    And while some men campaign for women, women who have been liberated and are rich should not engage in penny-pinching behaviour.

    They should invest in causes to liberate other women instead of settling for grandiose speeches on public occasions.

    Women in political office should strive for the wisdom mastered by brilliant minds if they are to be taken seriously. It is not enough to be treated seriously on the mere basis of being a woman. Such women must be seen to live a scandal-free life and always be ready to fight for women’s causes.

     

    • Simon Abah,

    Abuja.

  • Lagos govt reiterates commitment to gender equality

    Lagos govt reiterates commitment to gender equality

    Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to building a state devoid of gender discrimination, guaranteeing equal access to political, social and economic wealth creation opportunities for women and men; and developing a culture that places premium on the protection of all including children.

    The Commissioner for Justice/Attorney General Mr. Adeniji Kazeem,  made the remark during  the celebration of 2017 United Nation’s Day in, Ikeja.

    The event  organized by the Directorate for Citizens’ Rights which is under the Ministry of Justice, featured several  activities  including a keenly contested debate on human rights issue.

    He said: ”The mission of the Directorate for Citizens Rights is to bring about speedy and healthy development process.  The need to emphasize on safeguarding the health of a child cannot be overstated. With the enactment of this Child’s Rights law in Lagos State, the welfare and responsibilities of children as well as those of government and institution towards children became more defined. It’s my candid opinion that every citizen in Lagos State and Nigeria in general should be treated equally with dignity and given the same rights.

    Also speaking, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, of Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Funlola Odunlami, said  the theme of this year’s celebration ‘Human Rights Protection of Gender Rights in the 21st century Nigeria was carefully selected in the light of the fact that the need to protect the health of a child cannot be over emphasized,.

  • ‘Women must fight prejudice, promote equality’

    A non-governmental organisation, Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja, has called on women to forge a better working environment that will promote their empowerment and gender-inclusiveness.

    The President of the foundation, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu  made the call in Abuja while speaking to the media as part of activities commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration, stressing the need to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political activities of women.

    While speaking on this year’s theme: “Be Bold for Change”, Mrs. Ahmadu called on women to do everything to overcome entrenched prejudice, support engagement and activism and promote gender equality, noting that Nigerian women cannot be excluded from this global call.

    Mrs. Ahmadu acknowledged that the task of women empowerment and gender equality should be the responsibility of both government and non-governmental organisations, even as she observed that government should be responsible in the policy formulation of women empowerment scheme.

    “I understand that a key feature of 2017’s International Women’s Day is the call for “a day without women”. That is, for women to take the day off work. While I agree that it would be tremendously effective if we could mobilise every single woman on the street, but my major concern as a very privileged, financially stable woman is for government and stakeholders to initiate policies and programmes that will empower women economically, socially, culturally and politically. It is my candid opinion that economic empowerment breed boldness for change,” she said.

    Mrs. Ahmadu pledged that Helpline Foundation will continue on its empowerment programmes for women in the six. Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, adding that her foundation had at last year empowered over 400 widows on free interest macro-credit loan across the length and breadth of the Territory.

    She said, “From our experience in dealing with these women; we discovered that what they need is support from government in the area of capacity building and available start off packages for them to contribute to the local economy and be self-reliant. Government should put structures in place to help to assist them with finance and equipment that will make the local economy vibrant”.

    She also observed that since the first International Women’s Day was marked, there has been a significant improvement in the lives of women across the globe, in terms of gender equality, education, and increased visibility and recognition in politics.

    It could be recalled that the International Women’s Day (IWD) was originally called International Working Day, is celebrated on March 8, every year to commemorate the struggle for women’s rights.

  • Kogi governor’s wife makes case for gender equality

    Kogi governor’s wife makes case for gender equality

    Wife of Governor of Kogi State, Mrs Rasheedat Bello has called for urgent domestication of the Gender and Equal Opportunity and Violence against Persons Prohibition Law in the state.

    She made the call at an advocacy meeting with stakeholders as part of activities marking the 2017 International Women’s Day in Lokoja, the state capital.

    The advocacy meeting was organised by a non-profit organisation, Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) in conjunction with the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) with support from ActionAid Nigeria.

    Bello said women “constituted a very important fraction of the human population” but had been sidelined for too long with their rights often violated at will.

    “It is my belief that the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill are a great leap but these bills have to be domesticated in Kogi State,” she stated.

    Mrs Gift Owonipa, Executive Director of PIBCID in a paper: “Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill as a Tool for Acceleration Gender Parity in Kogi State,” said that in spite of efforts at addressing gender issues, rights of women and children were still being trampled upon.

    She said, “It is disheartening to note that the rights of Nigerian women and by extension Kogi women are still being violated and women are still subjugated to different forms of violence, discrimination and harmful practices.

    ‘’What we are asking for is protection and equal opportunity when it comes to marriage, business, employments, politics and inheritance amongst others. With these, our families, communities and state will prosper, she said.

    Owonipa called on Governor Bello to as a matter of urgency, institute a gender audit to identify gaps and areas where gender equality can be strengthened in terms of recruitments, appointive positions, promotion and remuneration for public and polittical offices.

    The state commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan who was represented by Mrs Tessy Fadile urged that the government ensure enforcement of the state law on kidnapping, as part of measures at addressing issues of security for women and children in the state.

    Wife of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hajia Hadiza Imam, said gender-based issues remain rampant in communities and urged women to come up with a holistic agenda to tackle the issues.

    Hon. Victor Omofaiye, the member representing Ijumu state constituency at the house of assembly called on women to always support their fellow women’s aspirations, asserting that hitherto, women had been their own worst enemies rather than men.

    Mrs Falilat Yusuf-Musa, FIDA chairperson in the state called for the emergence of a more gender-inclusive world and called on the women to be bold , and come together to address issues of injustice affecting them.

    As part of the programme, two hundred “seed grants” were handed over to two clusters of women cooperative groups from Osara and Ugbedomogwu communities, in Adavi and Igalamela/Odolu local government areas.

  • Roadmap on gender equality climate change coming

    Roadmap on gender equality climate change coming

    A roadmap to ensure that Nigeria addresses gender equality in climate change initiatives is  underway.

    The Minister for the Environment, Hajia Amina Mohammed, made this known at a two-day National Consultative Workshop by the Federal Ministry of Environment’s Department of Climate Change in collaboration with Women Environment Programme (WEP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Office, Abuja.

    This is in line with the more than 50 decisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which  recognise and supports the integration of gender considerations.

    To this end, the country is to implement the Paris Accord and Nigeria’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), as the federal authorities have begun moves for the creation of a National Gender Roadmap on climate change, which will mainstream gender concerns into national policies, plans and programmes at all levels.

    The decision also includes programmes and reporting mechanisms designed to support and promote countries’ mitigation efforts like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)- which offers developed countries an opportunity to earn credit by implementing emissions reduction projects in developing nations.

    The workshop is aimed at showcasing how gender dimension will support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, so as to build resilient and more sustainable societies.

    Besides, it is also expected to define a post COP21 agenda for the implementation of the Paris Agreement that will be supported by the creation of a Gender National Roadmap on climate change.

    Mohammed said the workshop would enable the ministry develop innovative ways of allowing gender take front stage in addressing climate change problems in the short, medium and long term.

    “We must also develop and implement specific plans to fill the gaps in adaptation, capacity building, education, access to safe, affordable, available and sustainable technologies, and decision making schemes for rural women,” Mohammed said.

    Women, she noted, are not only vulnerable to climate change, but are effective actors or agents of change in relation to both mitigation and adaptation.

    Said she: “Women’s responsibilities in households and communities, as stewards of natural and household resources, positions them well to contribute to livelihood strategies adapted to changing environmental realities.”

    UNDP Resident Representative, Opia Kumah noted that climate change will continue to expand the gap between men and women in most vulnerable communities due to the various roles and responsibilities they play in their communities.

    The UNDP representative said there was a need to identify gender -sensitive strategies that ensure that no one was left behind in the work towards implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and an African solution to a collective global challenges.

    Kumah said the consultative process would create an opportunity for a better understanding of the link between gender and climate change, and more importantly, Nigeria’s commitment for implementation of the INDC to focus on community based organisations and groups that implement and take action with a gender sensitive lens.

    “We have to work in a real spirit of partnership where stakeholders concerned – local women, communities, NGOs and private sector, collaborate and develop equitable climate change adaptation strategies and responses to ensure sustainable development for Nigeria,” he said.

    The acting Director, Department of Climate Change, Dr. Yerima Tarfa said that the programme aims to bring together key stakeholders from MDA’s, CSO’s, NGO’s and gender experts to develop ways to increase gender participation in climate negotiations and other related issues.

  • Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Phase 3 Telecom push for gender equality in ICT

    Pan African aerial fibre network operator, Phase 3 Telecom has stressed the need to bridge existing gender gap in the information communication technology (ICT) sector so that women would play key roles in solving national problems.

    It said to achieve this requires doing more in the area of active engagement of girls in the ICT space, adding one way to do this is through partnership with local and international organisations that share in its dreams and visions.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stanley Jegede who spoke during the 2016 International Girls in ICT Day, said championing great initiatives that open women and girls to great technological possibilities is not only key to Africa’s sustained development but are morally just platforms to ensuring that the girl child harnesses the right opportunities aimed at empowerment and growth.

    He said Phase3 will continue to support and drive programmes that encourage girls and young adult females to pull careers that will grow the IT/STEM sector and transform the world positively.

    He said: “To also eradicate poverty and solidify the role of women in nation building; the sustained representation of women in the world of technology is very key especially when they are encouraged early to see the advantages and dividends of the dynamic and fast-evolving-sector.”

    He added that this is the basis for Phase3 Telecom’s commitment to continue to support the International Girls in ICT day initiative and commended eBusiness Life consistent commitment to the annual initiative designed to mentor and support girls who have keen interest in walking the ICT career path whether in engineering, design, operations or research.

    The International Girls in ICT Day is a global celebrations and it is an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to raise awareness on empowering and encouraging girls and young women to consider studies and careers in ICTs. To date over 177,000 girls and young women have taken a part in more than 5,300 events held in 150 countries worldwide.

  • Keep pushing the equality bill

    Senator Abiodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti South) should cheer up. And so should everyone who supports the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill she initiated and presented before her colleagues on Tuesday. Her efforts produced some chilling results, though, for the male-dominated Senate of over 100 men against seven women shot the bill down as soon as she could read out the title. In other words, Olujimi’s bill did not go beyond First Reading. It speaks volumes of the senators’ intolerance of the idea of gender equality, of their aversion to the very words, and of their impatience with a woman’s audacity to contemplate the unheard-of. It hints of a bunch of male chauvinists feeling almost dismantled by the thought that someone was bent on having women stand shoulder to shoulder with some special people who pay their bride price. For all the senators cared, Olujimi could as well ask that women immediately start picking up the bills covering rent, house upkeep, school and sundry fees, as men have been doing long before she was conceived.

    Considering the bill’s imperatives, if not urgency, Olujimi might feel a bit deflated and discouraged. It is natural but she need not be. Here’s why. She has chosen a modern path -the law- to tackle an ancient dinosaur that has simply refused to be extinct. We have heard of women who poisoned the domestic chauvinists, also known as their husbands. We have heard of those who physically attacked their domineering male spouses, or denied them conjugal rights, or quietly pulled out of their marriage simply because their men insisted on being known, addressed and treated as gods rather than human partners.

    Such methods of righting a wrong are unhelpful. But Olujimi’s parliamentary effort is great because whenever it sees the light of day every woman and the entire society will benefit. This should lift the spirits of the Ekiti senator. She should also be encouraged by the fact that not all men in the Senate are chauvinists. Some, however few, indeed supported the bill.

    What was the senator fighting for with the bill? She was seeking an end to “all forms of discrimination against women”, aiming to protect women against violence, including the physical and sexual kind. It made a case against anything amounting to “inhuman, humiliating or degrading” treatment of women. It craved for women being free to vote and be voted for, and that they “shall have the right to an equitable share in the inheritance of the property of their husbands.”

    I not only see nothing wrong with the provisions or particulars of the bill but also make bold to say that they are supposed to be, in the first place, the inalienable rights of women. Yet, on Tuesday, some alpha-male chauvinists in the Senate smashed the bill citing portions of the Quran and the Bible to support their positions.

    I know the Bible refers to the man as head of the home, and that the wife should submit to him but I know of no scripture which bars women from freely choosing a candidate to vote in an election, for instance. I have read enough of the leadership qualities of such biblical women as Miriam and Deborah to know that men sometimes want to put women in subjection more out of ignorance, sheer chauvinism or outright mischief. When men tend to keep women quiet it is to massage their misplaced ego or to play the good custodian of culture and tradition.

    Such attitudes and tendencies are anachronistic and therefore untenable in the modern era.

    When my Dad passed 10 years ago, there was pressure to have my Mum lie beside his corpse just before he was buried, according to tradition. I resisted it even though I was warned that my Mum could come to some harm if she said no. She is now in her late 70s and in appreciable health.

    My Mum was lucky. Some of her counterparts in other parts of the country must shave off their hair, keep themselves untidy and in some cases drink their deceased husbands’ corpse-bathwater. Some are stripped of everything they and their late spouses acquired together and then thrown out of their homes.

    What should Senator Olujimi do in the face of rejection? The first thing is to know that she is on the right side of history. Secondly, she must not give up. She must keep pushing the bill as long as she in the Senate or even as long as she has breath. Keeping women quiet, which is what the rejection of the bill amounts to, is not peculiar to Nigeria, though. Some other nations have done, some still do it, to their shame. One good thing is that some other nations, still, know the difference between the age of the dinosaurs and a forward-looking, tech-driven era. At some point, it was unthinkable for a black man to vote in America; now one is serving out an eight-year tenure as president and commander-in-chief. In that same country, women could not cast their ballot; now a black president could hand over to a woman in the Fall.

    I realise that we have so many rivers to cross. Our politics is still dirty and blood-soaked, for instance. Our standards fall far short. Our houses continue to collapse, killing our people. Our schools and are not worth much. If life itself means little to us, how can we expect our men to easily accept that women are equal?

    But as long as we continue to live in the ugly past, so long should the Olujimis in our midst keep pushing for equality. History beckons.

    CORRECTION

    I erred last week in this space when I referred to Olumba Olumba Obu as the head of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Crescent. Everyone knows that O.O.O. leads the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star. I must thank a reader who pointed out the error, warning me not “start another problem”.

  • Can there really be equality of the sexes, ever?

    Rather than go seeking equality between men and women, I think we should go in search of equilibrium. It normally resides somewhere in the twilight zone of insanity and not even remotely acceptable behaviour

    The world celebrated womanhood last week. Great celebrations they were. I listened as people, men and women, extolled the virtues of womanhood, and muttered words to the effect that women were and are irreplaceable. I thought, what if they were replaceable, with what, pray tell, would we replace them: more men?

    In the same breath, these speakers have told us again that men and women are not equal and they need to be. What these people are really saying of course is that men ought to get down to it, put their backs to the task, heave ho, and make women equal to them. Many times, I listen to these speeches and I wonder whether I really understand the English behind their words!

    Of course, you and I know what these speakers are talking about. They are complaining about the numerical strength of women in the work place – it is too low. They are also complaining about the wages paid to women in comparison to that of men – it is discriminatory. Most importantly, they are complaining about the representation of women in government – you can count them on one finger. So, if women are supposed to have these virtues in abundance, why then are they not given equality in abundance and women have to go looking for it?

    The virtues of women cannot be denied, nor can those of men. Truth is, each one of them is supposed to have its own set of virtues that cannot be found in any other. For example, where else but in women can you find that silent, foot-tapping patience, extremely illogical, strong sixth sense, loads and loads of strength to shout and harangue the husband and children to rein them in? And where but in men can you find that fury-filled patience, soundly illogical reasoning that sounds very clever to the ears, and loads and loads of strength to shout about nothing with colleagues over bottles of beer? So, why on earth would you say that these two people are equal?

    Each time I have read these news items about people calling for equality of the sexes, I have smiled. I have concluded that the people really do not know what they are asking for. Nature never designed the two sexes to be equal; so asking for equality would be asking a hard thing: the total upturning and disorganisation of natural sequences. Men and women equal? Naaaaah! They are too divided by their common humanity.

    Did you know that men and women do not inhabit the same world; neither do they even speak the same language, not on anything, not even food? Many instances abound. When a man speaks of taking a weekend family trip, he thinks only of throwing a few shirts inside a suitcase, snapping it shut, popping his toothbrush in his shirt pocket and hitting the road. It’s not so for the woman. She must examine the contents of that suitcase to be sure it contains important items such as clothes, clothes and more clothes. There must be a dress for every morning and evening, and for every morning and evening of extra days (in case fuel shortage extends the holiday), and every morning and evening of more extra days. Then she must bring matching accessories for each dress, make-up for each accessory, shoes and bags to match each make-up, mosquito-proofing items for the environment, cotton bed-sheets for the beds, carpet for the floor, and many more little things for creature comforts. Who needs equality with that?! Viva la difference!

    The difference is even clearer in the little matter of what makes a house a home. Leave it to the man, and you would have nothing in the house but these big, puffy chairs one sinks and promptly disappears into, and then one giant TV set that drowns out all sounds except his snoring. It’s the woman who insists that there must colours in the said chairs and they must match the hanging curtains. Curtains, asks the man, what are those?

    Then she decrees that there must be a kitchen where the food will be cooked. No, she insists, Iya Alakara down the road will not do for everyday. More importantly, there will be breakfast plates with matching napkins, dinner plates with matching napkins, table cloths to match all the sets of serving plates, and cutlery to match each of these table accessories. God help you if she has three dozen sets of such plates.

    Clearly, the world of men and women differ greatly largely because different things are going on in their heads. This is why a community somewhere south of this continent even went to the extent of devising different languages for each sex. No, a man may not even make the mistake of speaking the women’s language out of forgetfulness, and a woman dares not speak that of men either. They are both mutually comprehensible but none dares cross that great linguistic divide. It is forbidden, not allowed, and a taboo to do so. If that divide is crossed, be sure that the heavens will fall and there shall be very severe sanctions to restore them to the skies. We might require the services of a few cows. So, I think the community was trying to make sure that whatever was going on in the head of each sex did not accidentally cross to the other side, you know, to avoid contamination and all. Viva la inequality!

    All you have to do is look at the work space to see how men and women have contaminated each other. Take women bosses as an example. They have so imbibed the authority wielding posture of men that many have made themselves obnoxious. In this, the men are limping after them. Sir, men and women are too opposed in their ways; so we cannot speak of equality between them, thank God. If they were equal, who would put flowers on the central table?

     I have long despaired of ever seeing equality between the two sexes in my lifetime. The line of difference has been clearly drawn by nature: men are very smart, women are very clever. How on earth do you think that breach can be filled? They look to me like parallel lines. No wonder no Supreme Court judge can ever get it right between two divorcing couples. Either way, he is bound to be hated passionately by one of them. His prayer is not to choose the one with the gun.

    Rather than go seeking equality between men and women, I think we should go in search of equilibrium. It normally resides somewhere in the twilight zone of insanity and not even remotely acceptable behaviour. One needs to search really deep to find it. According to my Encarta, equilibrium is the situation where opposing forces balance each other out, for the sake of obtaining some kind of stability. That is when men and women will now confidently tell each other that ‘from where I am standing the sky is red but that does not stop it from being green from where you are standing.’ When the time comes that men and women can tell this to each other, appreciation of each other’s position is not far behind.

    With this balance installed, women will not need to go seeking to be equal to men, nor will men be forever scratching their heads searching for how to make women understand any blessed thing they say. As we celebrate women once again this year, let us not ask for equality; let us ask for equilibrium. That will not only keep us balanced as individuals, it will keep the button of equality balanced in the twilight zone of I’m alright, Jack.

  • Phase3 urges gender equality for ICT development

    Phase3 urges gender equality for ICT development

    Phase3 Telecom has said giving equal opportunities to both male and female children in the information technology (IT) and information communications technology (ICT) sector will accelerate economic prosperity for the country.

    It added that developing technology skills for women and harnessing the skills are critical factors to achieving rapid national development.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Stamley Jegede, who justified the firm’s support for this year’s edition of the International Girls in ICT Day Celebration, in Lagos, explained that the era in which professions in the IT/ICT sector were largely dominated by the male gender is coming to an end.

    He added that it is exciting the progress female gender in the world is making in tapping into the huge potentials and possibilities of the IT professional fields based on the realisation that very few jobs exist for men that are not also open to woman.

    Jegede expressed optimism that Nigeria and indeed, the West African sub-region will reap bountifully if more institutions and agencies advocate ICT skills for women.

    He said West African women are under-represented across boards in ICT – from education and training programmes right through to high level careers in the sector whether in academia or industry.

    He said: “We know that one of the key elements of addressing poverty is the empowerment of women and there is no better way of doing that today than giving women ICT empowerment. There are many women with amazing talent and this has to be brought to aid our social and economic development.”

    He added that building a crop of young female Nigerians to actively participate and compete in the evolving as well as innovative technological space globally is the basis for Phase3 Telecom’s commitment to always support the International Girls in ICT day celebration.

    The International Girls in ICT Day is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)-member state designed to create a global environment that empowers and encourages girls and women to consider careers in the growing field of ICTs.