The bill for gender parity and
prohibition of violence against women was presented before the Eighth
Senate for the first time by the senator representing Ekiti South,
Biodun Olujimi, last week. But it didn’t pass through the second reading
before it was thrown out, to the surprise of many and plenty of hue and
cry on social media. Many were rightly peeved by the unwillingness of
the lawmakers who were elected into the parliament to protect and serve
the interest of their constituents to pass the bill into law. I am one
of the few people who weren’t surprised by the action of the senators.
Apart from the obvious back-to-back
gaffes that have been recorded since the inauguration of the present
National Assembly, I knew it would take a miracle for the bill to scale
through in a Senate which has only seven female members out of a total
of 109 senators. It would require plenty of concerted efforts (and
possibly a revolution) to change the mindset in a society that has been
steeped in patriarchy for so long. It’s just the harsh reality at the
moment.
However, it is pertinent to try to
understand why anyone would be afraid of a bill that simply proposes
that men and women be treated equally and allowed the same
opportunities. It really is that simple. On the other hand, very few
things are considered or viewed in a simplistic manner in our beloved
country. When educated and supposedly enlightened individuals in
positions of authority, who one would ordinarily expect to champion the
cause of women in a society that has relegated the female gender to the
background for ages, are the ones who are quick to reject such a
proposition, then it is obvious that we still have a long way to go as a
country.
Senator Ahmed Yerima who represents
Zamfara West was an unsurprising antagonist of the gender and equal
opportunity bill. How does a bill like that get passage when the house
consists of one who in the recent past vehemently defended his decision
to marry a 13-year-old under the guise of religion? And before someone
suggests that the Muslims in the house were the culprits in the
rejection of the gender parity bill episode, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, a
Christian who represents Taraba South, was also unashamedly vocal in his
stance against the proposed bill, citing the contents of the Bible has
his reasons for being against the idea of elevating women to the prime
position which only men should occupy. Like him, many of the senators
who voted against the bill quoted the Bible and Quoran in defending
their position on the matter. And one is forced to wonder if Nigeria is
not regarded as a secular state (even though this has been the subject
of debate too) anymore, or at most a multi-faith country where no one
religion holds sway.
Culture and tradition have also been
cited as major reasons why the case for gender parity can’t just fly.
How dare we try to change an age-old tradition? How dare modern day
feminists attempt to distort the “tried and tested” way of doing things?
How dare they attempt to rock the boat by distorting culture? And then
again, one is compelled to ask who determines the way of life of a
people? Many of us were told the story of Mary Slessor, the Scottish
missionary who stopped the killing of twins among the Efiks between the
18th and 19th century. A good number of archaic traditions which were
religiously practised in the past were jettisoned when we knew better.
The same can be applied to the issue of gender equality. Contrary to
what some of the antagonists of the bill think, it is not a tussle or a
battle of supremacy between males and females. What proponents of the
bill are saying is that the girl-child should be empowered to be all she
can be just like her male counterpart. Is that too much to ask in the
21st century?
According to the Africa Gender Equality
Index measured in 52 out of the 54 countries in Africa by the African
Development Bank and published in May 2015, no West African country
ranks among the first 10 countries in the inclusion of women in the
areas of economic opportunities, human development, and law and
institutions, with countries like South Africa, Rwanda and Namibia
having the highest gender parity rates, while Nigeria ranks a distant
23rd position. An unacceptable position for a country which claims to be
aiming to rub shoulders with the super powers of the world in the near
future.
Females should be protected from the
discrimination and violence they have had to deal with for too long.
Women should be given the opportunity to aspire to the height of their
careers and play more prominent roles in the public and private
decision-making process. Barriers placed by discriminatory laws,
restrictive cultural practices and highly segmented labour markets
should be broken. The bill just simply says, “Treat every human being
the same way regardless of their gender!”
Now, I can imagine how this can be a
threat to some people. First of all, male chauvinists who believe that
women should only be seen and not heard certainly won’t be happy about
the passage of such a bill. The truth is that many men are intimidated
by a woman’s success and what it may portend for the “balance of power”
especially at the home front. In like manner, perverts who have their
lecherous eyes on the yet-to-be-fully developed bodies of pre-teen and
teenage girls would find the suggestion that no girl under 18 should be
married nightmarish.
And lastly, it may come as a surprise to
many that some women are against this bill too, simply because contrary
to what many may think, rights confer responsibilities. For the women
who have always had their every need catered to by a man, this bill is
not good news. If it is eventually passed into law, it will no doubt
change the dynamic in relationships. “Self-imposed house wives” will
have no place to hide anymore and the male folk who have had to bear the
larger burden of being the bread winner of the family can relax a
little, as women will be expected to meet them half way now. The
prospect of sharing the responsibilities in equal proportion at home
will not appeal to many women. And so, it is not just misogynists who
find the bill offensive, some females too would rather have the status
quo remain the same.
However, it is commendable that the
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has promised to re-present the bill. It
will be interesting to see the changes that will be made to the last
one. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I doubt if a new bill
proposing gender equality will still find passage among our present crop
of senators. But, like every other event in life which comes into
fruition in due season, the issue of gender equality is a moving train
that cannot be stopped. Eventually.
Caveat: This Opinion does not reflect that of VC Ezems blog
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