WOMEN AND THEIR SOCIETY

WOMEN AS THE GODLY GREASE OF THE FAMILY AND SOCIETY: THE NIGERIAN CONTEXT.

-Rich.N.Ekegbo
There has been no other century than the present, when a serious emphasis was laid on the need for total integration of women in every strata of the affairs of the society. Before now, emphasis had been on the need to enhance the status of women in nothing beyond house wives. Yes, no one denies the fact that the primary and natural responsibility of women has been to be the governors and caretakers of domestic affairs, haven derived from nature the sole responsibility of procreation and family caregivers cf. Genesis chapter 1:22. Yet living expeience shows that there are more to women and mothers than the scripture makes us to know. Therefore, let us examine Nigerian women within the framework set below:
1. Who is a woman?
2. Who is a Nigerian Woman?
3. What Nigerian women can do and have done?
4. How Nigerian women can take part in decision making?
5. Evaluation.

1. Who is a woman?
The biblical account states that “God created man in the image of himself, in the Image of God he created him, men and female he created them” Gen. 1:27. The interpretation of this passage points at the fact that God created man alone in his own image. Though as a separate specie, specie saperens, He created them equal.
Another verse which came earlier states that the male specie of God’s creation which, is “man”, who longed for a perfect partner expressed joy when God made a perfect partner for him by saying that, “This one is a bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh! She is to be called woman, because she was taken from man”. Gen. 2:23.
The implication of the above two verses (that is Gen. 1:27 and Gen. 2:23), is that in the first passage, the female specie of any living thing starting from ant to elephant could be a specie to man, therefore a female counterpart, but will never be a match to man because they are not made of the same stock with man. Therefore the account states that the man called her woman. That is made from man; part of man, (that is wo + man = woman). Therefore she is a prototype of man. And since man is made in the image and likeness of God, woman should also be such. Again with the same logic, if man is endowed with any quality, the woman should also be endowed as such. And that is why, inasmuch as differences of arriving at the same target can vary, the two species are capable of arriving at right decisions. Hence women are also capable of decision making.
However, while some reservations can be made in some quarters about such expressions as what a man can do, woman can do (better), one should not overlook the extra role of motherhood and procreative right that every woman is blessed with. In agreement with this, Derek (2004:2) states that:
Given the opportunity, a woman can succeed in most activities as well as a man, but in one activity she is unique. The human female is a mammal. She carries her infant in the womb until it is sufficiently well developed to survive or at least to suck, she suckles it and cares for it”. And with this it is encouraging to note that a woman who is serious with life can be said to be equal to man and to some extent more than a man.

2. Who is a Nigerian Woman?
Because we have already described a woman above, our efforts here will be how to put woman in Nigeria to make a Nigerian woman, and to get a definition of Nigerian woman.
We can say that a Nigerian woman is a woman who is a Nigerian. In other words, a Nigerian woman is a female human being born in Nigeria, or at least has Nigerian blood as does things in Nigerian way. Such a woman, being a Nigerian, will be black or fair in complexion, simple in appearance but complex in character like Nigerians. This means that she must have known how to act, when and why. And given the opportunity, she can compete with her Nigerian men counterparts in every affair in the society including decision making.
And from the explanation of Nigerian woman above, and given the fact that nature has made enough provision for the integration of women in all strata of the society, the 1999 constitution of this our Nigeria, to play the good Samaritan states in article 15, section 2 that, “Accordingly, national integration shall be actively encouraged, whilst discrimination on the grounds of place of origin, sex, religion, status, ethnic or linguistic associations or ties shall be prohibited”.
The intention of the constitution as quoted above, is to make for equality of participation in all things national by everyone of her citizen. But although no one has been said to have been marginalized, but there continues to resurface the cry of marginalization from many angles, especially from the standpoint of sex, which is commonly referred to as sex discrimination against women. The problem is, how are women being discriminated against? Or rather, are women being discriminated against? This view which I also tend to share with the proponents, but which I do not wish to delve into much in this paper, seems to hang on two opposing polarities which I put into (a) a yes and (b) a no.

(a) A yes to the fact that women are being discriminated against.
It is a yes because I discovered from my dịalogue with some women that some employers of labour prefer the services of men to women in some offices, while some demand some dirty ransom from some women as a condition for employment. Although some employers of labour gave some reasons why they prefer men to women for some offices, but there are some too who prefer the services of women in their offices and employ them as such. And without prejudice, I recall a lady who narrated to me that though qualified for employment by NAFDAC, the organ told her that they do not employ married women. But it is funny that the director was a married woman. On the other hand too, and again without prejudice, some women make their offices very irritating. This is mostly so in educational institutions, especially among the non-tutorial staff. However, it is left for the women folk to know how to fish out and deal with such women from their offices.

(b) A no to the fact that women are maliciously marginalized.
Some of the women who feel cheated are more of those who just manage life, and are so easy going that they almost always take everything for granted even their education. My experience with employers shows that most men feel more for women, and consider them even more than their fellow men in situations where both sexes gun for an office, especially if the women is as qualified as the men. But the fact is that men are naturally more serious and more committed with whatever vocation they take in life. In schools, more women go for perceivable simple courses. Such courses are more clouded than others. As such when the students graduate it becomes very difficult to absolve them in serious offices or into offices that have nothing to do with those courses.
3. What Nigerian women can do and have done
In this section, I will try to be more a Nigerian and write as a Nigerian man to our Nigerian women. Uzor (2007:22), advised thus,
So try to reform your thought pattern by education and listening to people because many people develop structures and, their business without developing their intellect. This applies also to some girls who waste their study time in schools waiting for husbands and therefore their intellect is dormant, stagnant and stale. The worst is that they neither get a husband nor develop their understanding because when you reach a flowing stream, at the side of it, you get stagnant water. In it, you see different kinds of dirty mushrooms and their dirty things which could have been carried away by the stream. When anybody comes to the stream he draws water from the flowing stream and not from the stagnant dirty water at its side. The same thing happens these days, people marry those who have developed well both physically and mentally through hard work and education. ‘Development does not start with goods, it starts with people, their education, organization and discipline’ [E.F. Schumacher]. What makes this reference interesting is that its advise is not targeted to men alone, but at women too especially girls, the would be women.
The passage has ex-rayed the situation of contemporary young women, as well as reminds us that the foundation to greatness is better laid at much younger age; for as the Chinese adage says, the journey of one million miles begins with a step. And I suppose that many Nigerian great women laid such a wonderful solid foundation, irrespective of the restrictive nature of African traditional environment to the dignity of womanhood. A few of the litany of such Nigerian great women who have made it and who have made their families, their race and Nigeria, even beyond, proud is summarized thus in Lenten Campaign (2010:17-18): “In making reference to women of substance who have initiated the emancipation of Nigerian womanhood and contributed to the building of the Nigerian nation, names that readily come to mind include Chief (Mrs.) Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Abeokuta, Queen Amina of Zarịa, Queen Kambassa of Bonny and Lady Olayinka of Lagos; all of Blessed Memory.
In acadamia, the contributions of Professor (Mrs.) Grace Alele Williams, Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN); Professor (Mrs.) Bolanle Awe of the University of Ibadan (UI) and Late Mrs. Jadesola Akande, former Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU) have proved the capability, reliability, integrity and dignity of women in nation building. In the Legal profession, Chief (Mrs.) Folake Sholanke, the first woman Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has successfully distinguished herself and led other Nigerian women legal luminaries to put on sands of time the enviable contributions of women in the country’s judicial system.
Politically, the frontline position of the late icon, Chief (Mrs.) Margaret Ekpo and the effective contributions of the late Adama Nwapa cannot be controverted. Also, women politicians like Alhaja Sawaba Gambo, Leila Dongonyaro, Serah Jubril, Titi Ajanaku and Remi Adikwu-Bakare, to mention just a few, have effectively challenged the men in the field of politics and achieved commendable results on which the present crop of women politicians in the National and State Houses of Assembly are consolidating to put women in better stead in the political terrain.
Worthy of note are the remarkable performances of Chief (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Obiageli Ezekwesili and Nenadi Usman while holding ministerial positions in the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. In a male dominated cabinet, these women of integrity held their shoulders high, distinguished themselves and their contributions brought financial prudence, accountability and due process to public service. Their involvement also brought credibility to the administration”.
In our local level, Anambra state, you and I know the women who have made the state proud even till date. These mentioned and unmentioned women should serve as the light and the source of courage to all Nigerian women so that the saying what a man can do, a woman can do better can also be narrowed down to what a woman can do another woman can do too.


1. How Nigerian Women can take part in decision making.
The way to effect change is to be involved and get oneself absolved in the system. That means for Nigerian women to get involved in the country’s decision making table, you women have to plan and make your way to the table of governance. This is not so easy considering the complex nature of our country, yet not do difficult if you are able to forge a common solid front. Veronica was a woman but despite that she waded through the barricade of men, soldiers for that matter, to clean the face of Jesus. In my own interpretation of her action, beyond love and pity was the courage and action. The few suggestions I will be happy if you work with, and if possible to amplify include:
i. Elections is around the corner. If you decide that a woman from your community must go for position of counselor, local government area Chairman, member of house of assembly or even beyond, it shall be so especially if you women decide to support her. That is a way for women to gain access to the decision making table.

ii. Women can form a force that mediate between the government and the community women in every town. This group will be very intimate to the government to make the government understand the problems of the grassroots better and to help the communities more.

iii. Apart from the ones set by the government and the accompanied guidelines, women can also form cooperative groups of any item that they produce in the community and work for recognition, recommendation and assimilation into stages of governance and decision making table in their communities and government levels because of those products.
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REFERENCES
Derek, L., (2004), Every Woman, Ibadan: Spectrum Books
Lenten Campaign 2010, The Dignity of the Nigerian Woman: Her Right to
Womanhood, Nigeria: Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
The New Jerusalem Bible, 18th Edition, 1985
Uzor, Z. U., (2007), What It Takes to Become a Great Man or Woman; Nigeria:
Atubros ltd.
1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria