WOMEN,OUR TIME TO STAND UP TALL

Foundations laments on gender inequality in the Nigerian society

By Tayo Oredola

Championing the course of empowering women in Nigeria, the Founder of the Haske Wateraid and Empowerment Foundation, Miss Azubuike Mirian has recently called on the society to support the girl child in actualizing her full potentials.

She said this during a seminar in Lagos to mark the International Day of the Girl Child in line with the United Nation General Assembly Resolution on the right and challenges of the girl child.

Azubuike told The Guardian,; “in this part of the world, most girls do not  fulfill their dreams because of gender constraints and societal fallacies about the girl child”.

“I have been able to break this circle, and I discovered many girls need help to do same, that is why I decided to reach out to them through this seminar”, she added.

According to Azubuike, The theme of the seminar, “ The Role of the Girl Child and Boy Child in Ensuring a Balanced Society” was to raise awareness on gender inequality as well as advice young people that girls and boys are not competitor, but partners in development.

The author of the girl who found water also noted culture as a major cause of hindering the girl child in Africa. “I agree that Africans are westernizing everything, but we should not retain the wrong values that suppresses the woman in our society”, she remarked.

In her keynote address, a writer and feminist, Joy Ise Bewaji, lamented that  “ the toughest job in Africa is to be a girl or woman, because we teach our girls to be good wives, and ignore the boys, society should begin to teach both gender to breach that gap”.

She told our correspondent that, it is very important the awareness of gender equality continues, “ because for a long time, women have been relegated to the background, this has hindered them in embracing opportunities”. “African need to begin to realize the woman is equal to the man, she said.

Bewaji further said that people do not like change, and more so culture in this part is very rigid and unfavorable to women, and that show the inequality in the society.

While commending Azubuike, the feminist urged women to support in programs of such to educate young people to live a better life as well as start breaking the strong hold of culture that brings them down.

 The Principal, West Minster College, Lagos, Mrs. Helen Ayisire, who   was also present, appealed to the general public to change their orientation about the girl child and recognize her, because of her importance, “the girl makes the society, without her, we will not have people for tomorrow’s society”, she said.