The importance of the youth in every society cannot be over emphasized. They are very essential to the ultimate survival of the future of any nation, as they are seen as the backbone, heart and blood vessels upon which all affairs of any nation rotate. Therefore, when they are exposed to proper training, good value orientation in conformity with normal norms and practices, subsequently with various essential needs met and desired protection given, then society co-exists peacefully.
However, it is in line with the above stated vision that the NYSC directorate Headquarters Abuja, gave birth to a new product tagged “NYSC CHARITY SERVICES” in the year 2001. It later metamorphosed into NYSC CHARITY AND GENDER CDSGROUP in 2015.
The charity aspect of the group is solely dedicated to humanitarian services of creating a future for the less privileged children, providing help to the mentally retarded, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in the soci
ety. More also, the gender aspect of this noble group seeks to promote gender equilibrium through the promotion of equal responsibilities, rights, opportunities for both women and men, girls and boys. Correction of human rights abuses through the use of facilities provided by various care-givers in some existing rehabilitation homes.
Howbeit, the rate at which the girl-child drop out from the quintessential pursuit of formal education is still very high in Nigeria. According to British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out of school children in the world. Girl’s dropout rates are still high in Nigeria. According to a British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world (with 70.8% of young women aged 20-29 in the North-West are unable to read or write; compared to 9.7% in the South-East).
Another revelation from the health sectors states that 47% of Nigerian women are mothers before they reach 20. One Nigerian woman dies in child birth every ten minutes and she is most likely to be poor and young.
Others scenarios presented include women still being under represented at all levels of governance, one in three Nigerian women and girls aged 15-24 being the victims of violence, etc.
In conclusion, it is pertinent to note that empowering women is an indispensable tool for advancing development and poverty reduction; just like women empowerment contributes to the health and productivity of families and communities and improves prospects for the next generation. Moreover, when “you educate a woman, you educate the whole nation”, as an educated woman would inclusively want all her children to be educated.
Thank you.
GENDER EQUALITY SENSITIZATION
Reaching out to the Government, Parents, Girl-Child, and the Society at large.
Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of woman and men are equally valued and favoured.
Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men, girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same, but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interest, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men.
There is an adage that says “what is good for the goose is good for the gander”. It is high time the society knew that all the rights given to men or boys are absolutely well deserved by the women and the girls.
Gender equality is not women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and an indicator of, sustainable people-oriented development.
DEFINITION OF GENDER: gender is the cultural and socially constricted roles, responsibilities and privileges, relations and expectations of women and men, boys and girls. Depriving a particular sex (mostly women and girls), restraining and limiting the aforementioned sex their privileges and rights is like being imprisoned.
From a psychological point of view, it means any person whose right is deprived is as good as saying he or she is being mentally imprisoned/caged/constrained.
Do not forget, women and girls have the same psychological make-up as the men and boys. They have the same sense of reasoning, the same ability to think. Now, put yourself in their shoes, see through their eyes and reason through their mind. Then ask yourself this rhetorical question: “how will you feel if you are deprived of your right as a human being?”
Now, imagine a woman that has lived 50 years on earth and have endured gender inequality/discrimination/restriction. It is as good as saying such woman has been mentally imprisoned/caged for 50 years of her life.
This is an absolute act of injustice. It is inhumane and it is an eye sore to humanity.
The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has advocated a ban on marriage of women below 18 years, saying most of the women suffering from reproductive health challenges were products of such marriages. The emir said time had come when the Muslim community should live by the reality of economic recession and consequences of early marriage. He said the era when people gave out their daughters in marriage at early ages and asked the husbands to wait till they were ripe was nothing but a deception.
According to Mr. Sanusi, that strategy no longer worked as it had led to cases of divorce and other ugly situations. The emir recounted that in the past the rich and the poor married four wives and bore between 30 and 40 children because the economy was not only buoyant but also because people were not relying on government for sustenance.
He said though the harsh economic realities now make it impossible for people to feed twice a day these days, “unfortunately our people do not change and somebody with virtually nothing still give birth to 20 or 30 children and this must stop”.
Mr. Sanusi said there was a need to peg the marriage age now because of the challenges early marriage was posing.
According to him, the marriage age in Egypt at present was 18 while that of Malaysia and Morocco were 19 and 17 respectively, asking “why not we here urgently call for pegging of marriage ages within Muslim Umma in Nigeria?”
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekeremadu, supported a bill passed recently in the senate. He said Nigeria would develop if women were given the same rights men have. He said those countries that are doing well are those who give women opportunities,” he said “Where I come from, women don’t eat egg and are restricted from touching the non-essential parts of animal. But now that has changed. What is needed is time and education, not necessarily legislation. We will continue to encourage our women. I support this bill”, he said.
ADVANTAGES OF GENDER EQUALITY
1. Promoting gender equality is now globally seen as a development strategy to help women and men escape poverty and improve their standard of living. Hence, the attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself (being a human right issue), but as a prerequisite for achievement of sustainable development.
Nigeria, like many other nations in the world, is responding to the clarion call made variously by the United Nations to rid the society of all forms of discrimination, especially gender-based discrimination and violence against women, who are half of the human resources waiting to be tapped for development.
It is widely known that Nigeria is blessed with many natural resources which are yet untapped but one of those natural resources, which is also the most important, are the women in Nigeria. With my little knowledge about life, an untapped natural resources will remain fallow or wasted if not discovered, tapped and used. The peculiar but also the devastating thing about these natural resources is that once not discovered, tapped or used, it will die and “will not” be recovered again.
Imagine the natural brain-resources that have been wasted over the years because of gender inequality, discrimination and restriction. These woman and girls have been forced to be useless to themselves and the societies. Not being useful to themselves is still better compared to the fact that they are indirectly adding problems to the society and for the government because they are more of a liability to themselves and the society at large. These women are being forced to be dependent all their lives. In short, I would say that Nigeria is not a freedom state. In any colony, true freedom comes when “every” entity, (irrespective of gender, ethnic group, religion, etc,) of that colony boldly enjoys equal rights, roles and responsibilities. True freedom comes when each entity in the colony is independent of the other, especially in the area of gender and mental issues, which are very sensitive.
Looking at Nigeria as a colony today, can we boldly say that the female folks are enjoying the same freedom and rights the male folks are enjoying?
2. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty.
3. Empowering women contributes to the health and productivity of whole families and communities and improves prospects for the next generation
4. An educated woman would inclusively want all her children to be educated.
5. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty.
6. Gender equality equally acknowledged as being a key to achieving the 8 MDG goals, which are listed below:
• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
WHAT WE DO AS A CHARITY AND GENDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (CDS) GROUP
Before I tell you how we relate to provide sensitization programme about gender equality, I will like to tell you about what this special and noble CDS group is all about:
The NYSC Charity and Gender Community Development Service Group is an arm of the National Youth Service Corps, Kano State Chapter, which is dedicated to humanitarian services of creating a future for the less privileged Children, providing help to the mentally retarded, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in the society. We also seek to promote gender equilibrium through the promotion of equal responsibilities, rights, opportunities for both women and men, girls and boys; correct human rights abuses through the use of facilities provided by various care-givers in some existing rehabilitation homes.
It is worthy to note that over the years, the above mentioned activities were organized and executed by us here in Kano State. You can check some of our past events on www.nysccharitygender.blogspot.com, and we are sure you will be convinced of our dedication in touching the lives of people in myriads of positive ways.
As corps members, we meet people at the grass root level where to a large extent the communities that are unaware of the existence and negative effect of these issues mentioned above. It is our responsibility to educate them on the benefits of gender equality by action and by words.
Others are:
a. Sensitizing the traditional institutions and the people in the community on the importance of sending their children (boys and girls) to school, so as to let them grow to adulthood in a healthy and safe community; getting them to know also that education is the key to empowerment.
b. Enlightening them on the importance of good nutrition in pregnancy, which can have a reduced effect on infant and maternal mortality.
c. Enlightening them on how breast, prostate and cervical cancers are responsible for high number of deaths among men and women in recent times.
d. Sensitizing the girls and women for political participation.
e. We act as eye-opener for the women on the reason why they need to dream big and to stand up to claim their right in the political, educational, economical and other sectors in Nigeria.
f. Through our charity programmes, we also try to sponsor young girls that are willing to go to school, but are discouraged or hindered because of poor family background.
g. We try to orientate the women and girls the need why they have to claim their right if they are going to be set free of their mental imprisonment or caging.
h. We let the women and girls know they deserve to be dependent of their own, and also let them know they deserve absolutely everything the women and boys only have been enjoying over the years.
SNAPSHOTS OF CURRENT GENDER DATA ACROSS SECTIONS
EDUCATION SECTOR:
Girl’s dropout rates are still high in Nigeria. According to a British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world (70.8% of young women aged 20-29 in the North-West are unable to read or write; compared to 9.7% in the South-East). Many supply and demand side factors are used to explain this including the state of schools; gender equality of education; and poverty in homes among others.
Although the gender gap is closing in the education sector, however, the net enrollment rate for girls is 22% compared to 29% from boys. This situation is worst in the North where in some places, only 4% of women complete secondary education.
Corporal punishment, sexual harassment and violence are prime factors for high dropout rates amongst girls.
Doubling the proportion of female teachers has not doubled girl’s enrollment, especially in secondary schools.
A decline in the number of female students who meet the threshold of five credits, including credits in English and Mathematics.
Although the number of young women admitted into university has more than doubled, the gender gap is widening (worst in science and technology based disciplines)
HEALTH SECTOR
• 47% of Nigerian women are mothers before they reach 20
• One Nigerian woman dies in child birth every ten minutes and she is most likely to be poor and young
• National figures present maternal mortality rate as 545 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly double the average. In the rural North-East region, the figure is 1,549 (which is over three times the national average).
ECONOMIC SECTOR
60-79% of the rural work force is women but men are five times more likely to own land.
POLITICAL SECTOR
o Nigeria is far from the target set by NGP (National Gender Policy) in political participation (i.e. 35% target)
o Though Nigeria is signatory to many of the international treaties/declaration on gender equality, it has failed to translate this into concrete actions.
o Women are still under represented at all levels of governance.
NOTABLE WOMEN WHO HAVE FREED THEMSELVES FROM PRISON/CAGE OF GENDER INEQUALITY
Nigeria is no doubt blessed with influential women who have affected the country and its image in one way or the other. They cut across all spheres in the country, from the political arena to the business sectors. These are women who stand out in their fields or by virtue of the position they occupy.
MRS. AISHA BUHARI:
Aisha was born in Adamawa State. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). She is a women's right activist and child right Advocate. She is one of the Nigerians who criticized girl-child marriages and homosexuality.
She has, on several occasions, emphasized the need for young girls to get Primary and Secondary school education before getting married, saying that she believes no girl should get married before the age of 17.
For years, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has run a successful business as the Founder/Managing Director of Hanzy Spa and Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute, a Beauty salon in Kaduna and Abuja.
LATE MRS. OLUWAFUNMILAYO RANSOME-KUTI -
Ransome-Kuti's political activism led to her being described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria and was regarded as “The Mother of Africa.”
Early on she was a very powerful force advocating for women's right to vote.
LATE PROF. DORA AKUNYILI
Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR) was born in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Prof. Akunyili, was an internationally renowned Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader. She has served her country in numerous strategic positions including as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Federal Minister of Information and Communication.
MRS. FARIDAH WAZIRI
Ever since she was appointed to occupy the office of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Waziri has not stopped being in the news. The organization is Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency. Her organization should normally spell dread in some places, especially among politicians. She has come under criticisms concerning her approach to corruption fighting in the country. That notwithstanding however, a good number of people would do anything to be in her good books.
DR. NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA
She holds the record of being the first woman to serve as the Managing Director of the World Bank as well those of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs and Finance Minister. She served as Finance Minister under President Obasanjo and was later moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
In October 2005, she led the Nigerian team that struck a deal with the Paris Club, a group of bilateral creditors, to pay a portion of Nigeria’s external debt of $12 billion in return for an $18 billion debt write-off. She has been appointed as the Finance Minister by President Goodluck Jonathan and she has embarked on a project of helping to reduce re-current expenditure and concentrate on capital projects. A recent international publication rated her as the 87th most powerful woman in the world.
DR. OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI
Oby, a trained Chartered Accountant was a co-founder of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption body. She has served as Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals and later Education.
Prior to that time, she had been appointed as the pioneer head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit which was often referred to as the Due Process Unit. She earned herself the name “Madam Due Process” while serving in that office.
After her exit from the Federal Executive Council, she moved to the World Bank where she serves as the Vice President of the Africa division.
BUKOLA ELEMIDE (a.k.a. ASA)
Bukola Elemide, better known as Aṣa was born in Paris, France to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Aṣa grew up in Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria. She however returned to Paris twenty years later and it was there that her musical career blossomed. She was a student of the Peter King’s School of Music where she learned to play the guitar in 6 months. Bukola sings Yoruba songs differently and these attracted more Yorubas to her music. Her abilities to sing in many languages helped her to reach more audience
Her hits Eye Adaba, Jailer and Be My Man have confirmed her as one of Nigeria’s biggest exports to the music world.
HAJIYA (DR.) TITILAYO AMINA ATIKU ABUBAKAR,
the first wife of Nigeria’s former vice president and Turakin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar comes across as a humble, motherly figure with strength of character. She has for a long time been speaking with a loud voice against the travails of women and children through her pet project, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) as the platform. Hajiya Abubakar is a very hardworking person. Before joining her husband in the Presidency, she was a lecturer at the popular Kaduna Polytechnic where she worked for ten years.
Do you want to be the next great woman in Nigeria? Then do not give up on yourself and your education. Education is power that can never be underestimated.
Your ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside yourselves will affect you.
You have inside of you a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.
You have the potential to achieve all those things men in the society are achieving. You are born to have equal right as the men. You deserve to get all they are given and the same peak they reached, but your freedom will be discarded if you fail to realize the greatness and potentials in you
However, it is in line with the above stated vision that the NYSC directorate Headquarters Abuja, gave birth to a new product tagged “NYSC CHARITY SERVICES” in the year 2001. It later metamorphosed into NYSC CHARITY AND GENDER CDSGROUP in 2015.
The charity aspect of the group is solely dedicated to humanitarian services of creating a future for the less privileged children, providing help to the mentally retarded, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in the soci
ety. More also, the gender aspect of this noble group seeks to promote gender equilibrium through the promotion of equal responsibilities, rights, opportunities for both women and men, girls and boys. Correction of human rights abuses through the use of facilities provided by various care-givers in some existing rehabilitation homes.
Howbeit, the rate at which the girl-child drop out from the quintessential pursuit of formal education is still very high in Nigeria. According to British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out of school children in the world. Girl’s dropout rates are still high in Nigeria. According to a British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world (with 70.8% of young women aged 20-29 in the North-West are unable to read or write; compared to 9.7% in the South-East).
Another revelation from the health sectors states that 47% of Nigerian women are mothers before they reach 20. One Nigerian woman dies in child birth every ten minutes and she is most likely to be poor and young.
Others scenarios presented include women still being under represented at all levels of governance, one in three Nigerian women and girls aged 15-24 being the victims of violence, etc.
In conclusion, it is pertinent to note that empowering women is an indispensable tool for advancing development and poverty reduction; just like women empowerment contributes to the health and productivity of families and communities and improves prospects for the next generation. Moreover, when “you educate a woman, you educate the whole nation”, as an educated woman would inclusively want all her children to be educated.
Thank you.
GENDER EQUALITY SENSITIZATION
Reaching out to the Government, Parents, Girl-Child, and the Society at large.
Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of woman and men are equally valued and favoured.
Gender equality refers to the equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women and men, girls and boys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same, but that women’s and men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equality implies that the interest, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into consideration, recognizing the diversity of different groups of women and men.
There is an adage that says “what is good for the goose is good for the gander”. It is high time the society knew that all the rights given to men or boys are absolutely well deserved by the women and the girls.
Gender equality is not women’s issue but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between women and men is seen as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and an indicator of, sustainable people-oriented development.
DEFINITION OF GENDER: gender is the cultural and socially constricted roles, responsibilities and privileges, relations and expectations of women and men, boys and girls. Depriving a particular sex (mostly women and girls), restraining and limiting the aforementioned sex their privileges and rights is like being imprisoned.
From a psychological point of view, it means any person whose right is deprived is as good as saying he or she is being mentally imprisoned/caged/constrained.
Do not forget, women and girls have the same psychological make-up as the men and boys. They have the same sense of reasoning, the same ability to think. Now, put yourself in their shoes, see through their eyes and reason through their mind. Then ask yourself this rhetorical question: “how will you feel if you are deprived of your right as a human being?”
Now, imagine a woman that has lived 50 years on earth and have endured gender inequality/discrimination/restriction. It is as good as saying such woman has been mentally imprisoned/caged for 50 years of her life.
This is an absolute act of injustice. It is inhumane and it is an eye sore to humanity.
The Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has advocated a ban on marriage of women below 18 years, saying most of the women suffering from reproductive health challenges were products of such marriages. The emir said time had come when the Muslim community should live by the reality of economic recession and consequences of early marriage. He said the era when people gave out their daughters in marriage at early ages and asked the husbands to wait till they were ripe was nothing but a deception.
According to Mr. Sanusi, that strategy no longer worked as it had led to cases of divorce and other ugly situations. The emir recounted that in the past the rich and the poor married four wives and bore between 30 and 40 children because the economy was not only buoyant but also because people were not relying on government for sustenance.
He said though the harsh economic realities now make it impossible for people to feed twice a day these days, “unfortunately our people do not change and somebody with virtually nothing still give birth to 20 or 30 children and this must stop”.
Mr. Sanusi said there was a need to peg the marriage age now because of the challenges early marriage was posing.
According to him, the marriage age in Egypt at present was 18 while that of Malaysia and Morocco were 19 and 17 respectively, asking “why not we here urgently call for pegging of marriage ages within Muslim Umma in Nigeria?”
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekeremadu, supported a bill passed recently in the senate. He said Nigeria would develop if women were given the same rights men have. He said those countries that are doing well are those who give women opportunities,” he said “Where I come from, women don’t eat egg and are restricted from touching the non-essential parts of animal. But now that has changed. What is needed is time and education, not necessarily legislation. We will continue to encourage our women. I support this bill”, he said.
ADVANTAGES OF GENDER EQUALITY
1. Promoting gender equality is now globally seen as a development strategy to help women and men escape poverty and improve their standard of living. Hence, the attainment of gender equality is not only seen as an end in itself (being a human right issue), but as a prerequisite for achievement of sustainable development.
Nigeria, like many other nations in the world, is responding to the clarion call made variously by the United Nations to rid the society of all forms of discrimination, especially gender-based discrimination and violence against women, who are half of the human resources waiting to be tapped for development.
It is widely known that Nigeria is blessed with many natural resources which are yet untapped but one of those natural resources, which is also the most important, are the women in Nigeria. With my little knowledge about life, an untapped natural resources will remain fallow or wasted if not discovered, tapped and used. The peculiar but also the devastating thing about these natural resources is that once not discovered, tapped or used, it will die and “will not” be recovered again.
Imagine the natural brain-resources that have been wasted over the years because of gender inequality, discrimination and restriction. These woman and girls have been forced to be useless to themselves and the societies. Not being useful to themselves is still better compared to the fact that they are indirectly adding problems to the society and for the government because they are more of a liability to themselves and the society at large. These women are being forced to be dependent all their lives. In short, I would say that Nigeria is not a freedom state. In any colony, true freedom comes when “every” entity, (irrespective of gender, ethnic group, religion, etc,) of that colony boldly enjoys equal rights, roles and responsibilities. True freedom comes when each entity in the colony is independent of the other, especially in the area of gender and mental issues, which are very sensitive.
Looking at Nigeria as a colony today, can we boldly say that the female folks are enjoying the same freedom and rights the male folks are enjoying?
2. Empowering women is also an indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty.
3. Empowering women contributes to the health and productivity of whole families and communities and improves prospects for the next generation
4. An educated woman would inclusively want all her children to be educated.
5. Gender equality is also a precondition for advancing development and reducing poverty.
6. Gender equality equally acknowledged as being a key to achieving the 8 MDG goals, which are listed below:
• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5: Improve maternal health
• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
WHAT WE DO AS A CHARITY AND GENDER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (CDS) GROUP
Before I tell you how we relate to provide sensitization programme about gender equality, I will like to tell you about what this special and noble CDS group is all about:
The NYSC Charity and Gender Community Development Service Group is an arm of the National Youth Service Corps, Kano State Chapter, which is dedicated to humanitarian services of creating a future for the less privileged Children, providing help to the mentally retarded, physically challenged and other vulnerable groups in the society. We also seek to promote gender equilibrium through the promotion of equal responsibilities, rights, opportunities for both women and men, girls and boys; correct human rights abuses through the use of facilities provided by various care-givers in some existing rehabilitation homes.
It is worthy to note that over the years, the above mentioned activities were organized and executed by us here in Kano State. You can check some of our past events on www.nysccharitygender.blogspot.com, and we are sure you will be convinced of our dedication in touching the lives of people in myriads of positive ways.
As corps members, we meet people at the grass root level where to a large extent the communities that are unaware of the existence and negative effect of these issues mentioned above. It is our responsibility to educate them on the benefits of gender equality by action and by words.
Others are:
a. Sensitizing the traditional institutions and the people in the community on the importance of sending their children (boys and girls) to school, so as to let them grow to adulthood in a healthy and safe community; getting them to know also that education is the key to empowerment.
b. Enlightening them on the importance of good nutrition in pregnancy, which can have a reduced effect on infant and maternal mortality.
c. Enlightening them on how breast, prostate and cervical cancers are responsible for high number of deaths among men and women in recent times.
d. Sensitizing the girls and women for political participation.
e. We act as eye-opener for the women on the reason why they need to dream big and to stand up to claim their right in the political, educational, economical and other sectors in Nigeria.
f. Through our charity programmes, we also try to sponsor young girls that are willing to go to school, but are discouraged or hindered because of poor family background.
g. We try to orientate the women and girls the need why they have to claim their right if they are going to be set free of their mental imprisonment or caging.
h. We let the women and girls know they deserve to be dependent of their own, and also let them know they deserve absolutely everything the women and boys only have been enjoying over the years.
SNAPSHOTS OF CURRENT GENDER DATA ACROSS SECTIONS
EDUCATION SECTOR:
Girl’s dropout rates are still high in Nigeria. According to a British Council Gender in Nigeria Reports (2012), Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world (70.8% of young women aged 20-29 in the North-West are unable to read or write; compared to 9.7% in the South-East). Many supply and demand side factors are used to explain this including the state of schools; gender equality of education; and poverty in homes among others.
Although the gender gap is closing in the education sector, however, the net enrollment rate for girls is 22% compared to 29% from boys. This situation is worst in the North where in some places, only 4% of women complete secondary education.
Corporal punishment, sexual harassment and violence are prime factors for high dropout rates amongst girls.
Doubling the proportion of female teachers has not doubled girl’s enrollment, especially in secondary schools.
A decline in the number of female students who meet the threshold of five credits, including credits in English and Mathematics.
Although the number of young women admitted into university has more than doubled, the gender gap is widening (worst in science and technology based disciplines)
HEALTH SECTOR
• 47% of Nigerian women are mothers before they reach 20
• One Nigerian woman dies in child birth every ten minutes and she is most likely to be poor and young
• National figures present maternal mortality rate as 545 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly double the average. In the rural North-East region, the figure is 1,549 (which is over three times the national average).
ECONOMIC SECTOR
60-79% of the rural work force is women but men are five times more likely to own land.
POLITICAL SECTOR
o Nigeria is far from the target set by NGP (National Gender Policy) in political participation (i.e. 35% target)
o Though Nigeria is signatory to many of the international treaties/declaration on gender equality, it has failed to translate this into concrete actions.
o Women are still under represented at all levels of governance.
NOTABLE WOMEN WHO HAVE FREED THEMSELVES FROM PRISON/CAGE OF GENDER INEQUALITY
Nigeria is no doubt blessed with influential women who have affected the country and its image in one way or the other. They cut across all spheres in the country, from the political arena to the business sectors. These are women who stand out in their fields or by virtue of the position they occupy.
MRS. AISHA BUHARI:
Aisha was born in Adamawa State. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU). She is a women's right activist and child right Advocate. She is one of the Nigerians who criticized girl-child marriages and homosexuality.
She has, on several occasions, emphasized the need for young girls to get Primary and Secondary school education before getting married, saying that she believes no girl should get married before the age of 17.
For years, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has run a successful business as the Founder/Managing Director of Hanzy Spa and Principal of Hanzy Beauty Institute, a Beauty salon in Kaduna and Abuja.
LATE MRS. OLUWAFUNMILAYO RANSOME-KUTI -
Ransome-Kuti's political activism led to her being described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria and was regarded as “The Mother of Africa.”
Early on she was a very powerful force advocating for women's right to vote.
LATE PROF. DORA AKUNYILI
Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR) was born in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Prof. Akunyili, was an internationally renowned Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader. She has served her country in numerous strategic positions including as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Federal Minister of Information and Communication.
MRS. FARIDAH WAZIRI
Ever since she was appointed to occupy the office of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Waziri has not stopped being in the news. The organization is Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency. Her organization should normally spell dread in some places, especially among politicians. She has come under criticisms concerning her approach to corruption fighting in the country. That notwithstanding however, a good number of people would do anything to be in her good books.
DR. NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA
She holds the record of being the first woman to serve as the Managing Director of the World Bank as well those of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs and Finance Minister. She served as Finance Minister under President Obasanjo and was later moved to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
In October 2005, she led the Nigerian team that struck a deal with the Paris Club, a group of bilateral creditors, to pay a portion of Nigeria’s external debt of $12 billion in return for an $18 billion debt write-off. She has been appointed as the Finance Minister by President Goodluck Jonathan and she has embarked on a project of helping to reduce re-current expenditure and concentrate on capital projects. A recent international publication rated her as the 87th most powerful woman in the world.
DR. OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI
Oby, a trained Chartered Accountant was a co-founder of Transparency International, a global anti-corruption body. She has served as Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals and later Education.
Prior to that time, she had been appointed as the pioneer head of the Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit which was often referred to as the Due Process Unit. She earned herself the name “Madam Due Process” while serving in that office.
After her exit from the Federal Executive Council, she moved to the World Bank where she serves as the Vice President of the Africa division.
BUKOLA ELEMIDE (a.k.a. ASA)
Bukola Elemide, better known as Aṣa was born in Paris, France to Nigerian parents. She was two years old when her family returned to live in Nigeria. Aṣa grew up in Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria. She however returned to Paris twenty years later and it was there that her musical career blossomed. She was a student of the Peter King’s School of Music where she learned to play the guitar in 6 months. Bukola sings Yoruba songs differently and these attracted more Yorubas to her music. Her abilities to sing in many languages helped her to reach more audience
Her hits Eye Adaba, Jailer and Be My Man have confirmed her as one of Nigeria’s biggest exports to the music world.
HAJIYA (DR.) TITILAYO AMINA ATIKU ABUBAKAR,
the first wife of Nigeria’s former vice president and Turakin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar comes across as a humble, motherly figure with strength of character. She has for a long time been speaking with a loud voice against the travails of women and children through her pet project, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) as the platform. Hajiya Abubakar is a very hardworking person. Before joining her husband in the Presidency, she was a lecturer at the popular Kaduna Polytechnic where she worked for ten years.
Do you want to be the next great woman in Nigeria? Then do not give up on yourself and your education. Education is power that can never be underestimated.
Your ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside yourselves will affect you.
You have inside of you a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.
You have the potential to achieve all those things men in the society are achieving. You are born to have equal right as the men. You deserve to get all they are given and the same peak they reached, but your freedom will be discarded if you fail to realize the greatness and potentials in you
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