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“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty,promoting sustainable development and building good governance.”

-Koffi Annan

The oxford dictionary of language matters defines gender as a grammatical term, referring to the masculine, feminine or neuter in some languages. There is a distinction between gender and sex. The latter refers to the biological make up of a human being while gender, in relatable terms, tells us about the roles and responsibilities assigned to individuals by society.

“A large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done” is a definition of society that resonates with the core of the subject being discussed.

Empowerment on the other hand, is a process that provides people with necessary and sufficient conditions to actualize their potentialities. It encourages people to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life and ultimately helps them develop within themselves or in the society.

This introduction seeks to border on the following:

1. A case for women and girls’ empowerment.
2. 2. Identify hindrances to gender empowerment
3. 3. Highlight effective tools that when used, will support the cause for gender empowerment.
4. Of the total population on planet Earth, 52% are women and girls, then why are so few of them in positions of decision making and sharing the work that needs to be done in each society? There is an imbalance. It is one that has been in place for many years and counting, and this imbalance is the premise of this discourse. Why are policies, opportunities and resources available to the masculine category more than they are to members of the broad category of femininity?
5. Development and economics is another subject of equal standing with gender empowerment. Nigeria, alongside other third world countries, seeks development in every sector and to this effect, policies have been created and systems modified. But with all of this in place, the much sought after development and a stable economy is yet to be attained.
6. A piece of advice goes like this –“for every success desired, sit at the foot of those who have achieved it –the masters” has been proven to work by the lives of successful entrepreneurs, global businesses and finally, developed countries of which Canada, the education, work and life friendly country that has her Minister Prime as Justin Trudeau, and upon his assumption of power, ensured a balance between male and females in cabinet –the highest point where decisions that govern Canada are made.
7. The cause for Gender Empowerment is peculiar to Africa because of the nature of her society. In Nigeria for example, it used to be a norm for twins to be killed until the intervention of Mary Slessor, a White Educated Christian Missionary. Now, are cultures, belief systems and mindsets still to be seen as hallowed, and unchangeable? The example above proves that wrong.
8. I believe one point I’ve been able to make is that man makes culture. Times are different in Nigeria now. Cultural practices like killing twins have been modified. Women are allowed to vote, and to be voted for; to run businesses, to become academics and other amazing things that are within their interest and ability, and one is allowed to say at this point that since women are allowed to be and do all this, what then is the challenge, what then is the need for this discourse? The problem you see is that women who are all of this brilliant things, sum up to less than 10%. What needs to be done in order to ensure that more women are added to this meager 10% and perhaps increase it up to a balanced proportion?
9. Man has allowed a society that sees women as weak to thrive. I am a social being and was taught by society that it is an abomination for a male to be beaten by a female but encourages a man to swell with ego when through physical abuse, keeps a woman and her girl child in bondage.
10. Developed societies have moved past physical strength as a premise for relevance. Creativity, innovation, wisdom and resilience works these days. Society sees a female engineer like my dear friend Ruth Akiba and says “hmm, you tried oh! It’s not easy” but goes on to lavish praises on a boy who also becomes an engineer. But Ruth struggles not to pay attention to all that. She burns with desire to delve into banking and finance, to run a chain of stores that sell wearable fashion that is affordable.
11. Creation of policies, policy modification, and creation of opportunities, funding and education are keys to restoring this balance that is much sought after. Education should be approached with a different perspective this time, and in the words of Chimamanda Adichie, this different caliber of education, should take a shift from gender to the interest and abilities of young children. This education raises boys and girls who are channeled towards their interests that are able to define their unique personalities and in turn, create a society that is poised to thrive.

References.

1. Chimamanda Adichie. We should all be feminists.TED 2017