International Women's Day- Break the Bias

 

It's March 8th again. Every year a theme to mark women's day is chosen. For 2022,  it's "Break the Bias" A bias that runs so deep, and has for so long that it will take centuries to break. But a journey of a thousand steps must start with one.

Gender bias and stereotypes are part of our daily lives. Deeply rooted in most cultures around the globe, although deeper and more troubling in some than others. As an African of Igbo ancestry, I know it is deep and has been the clog in the wheel of progress in my culture. Growing up, I would often hear phrases like "You can't talk, men are talking" said to aunties or female relatives. As a girl, you were often forbidden to express your opinion on matters. You were considered a "good girl" if you kept quiet and dumbed yourself down.

When I look back now, I cringe at the way girls were raised in my culture. You could not speak freely, your life was scripted to fulfill the expectations of your father and family. No one really considered what you wanted in life. Young girls were groomed to be wives and run homes from as young as 6 years old. I would dare say from your first cry at birth. Women used to be forbidden to buy land or invest in real estate without the consent of a male. And the girl child could not inherit assets from her father's estate.

Once upon a time in my mother's generation, in poor families, the girls were married off and their bride price used to put the boys through school. Fortunately, things have changed and girls are encouraged to go to school and become as educated sometimes these days, girls have become more educated than boys.

Although in many parts of Northern Nigeria, early child marriages are still happening. But we will get there. So, the issue of gender bias exists in all regions of the world but differs depending on location. I would say, in the Western hemisphere, women have it a lot easier, there are laws that protect women more These laws do not exist in many African countries, especially in Nigeria.

There is no political will to promulgate laws that are women-friendly. Unfortunately, there are few women in politics in Nigeria, and the few were put there by their husbands. Therefore he controls their narrative. 

The average Nigerian woman is submissive to the culture, tradition, and expectations of her community, which is deeply patriarchal. She wants to be seen or viewed as a wife-material, a good wife. Because in Nigeria, it is a big deal, it is seen as the ultimate accomplishment for women, as the men have dictated. Things are changing though, but Nigerian women are not as vocal in the politics of gender equality as their Southern African and East African counterparts and I dare say West African women, in general, are not as vocal as their East African or South African counterparts.

There are more women in politics in East Africa, and Southern Africa than there are in West Africa. The change has to start when women are in positions of power to change the narrative. In 2020 women in national parliament averaged 61.25% in Rwanda, 46.7 %, South Africa, 44.23%, Namibia,  43.03% in Senegal, 42.4% in Mozambique, 36.86% in Tanzania, and Nigeria at the bottom with a woeful 3.6%, meanwhile, there are more Nigerian women by population than any other woman on the African continent

So while we have many educated women in Nigeria, in every field of endeavor, power is still controlled by men, and therefore the narrative. Men control the politics and the direction of the country. This is unfortunate as they have done a poor job so far since Nigeria's independence from Britain in 1960.