By Josephine Agbonkhese

IT was with consternation that many Nigerians, last week, received the news of the rejection of a bill seeking gender parity and prohibition of violence against women by the red chamber.

Interestingly, this is coming in March, a month internationally set aside for honouring women, with Pledge for Gender Parity forming the theme for this year’s celebration- one in which the same lawmakers participated with special sessions.

Apparently, the lawmaker, Mrs Abiodun Olujimi, a senator from Ekiti State, who presented the bill, expected to successfully sway the house with the euphoria of the season.

The rejection of that bill has since then trended, with many expressing disappointment and condemning the lawmakers for claiming that some aspects of the bill negate the principles of religions and traditions in the country, and for failing to own up to the deep-seated misogyny and religious bigotry which many believed formed their opinions.

THE SENATE

About the bill: The Gender Parity and Prohibition of Violence against Women Bill which did not survive a second reading was aimed at eliminating the gap between the rights of men and women in Nigeria. It also sought to put an end to traditional and stereotypical practices that drive discrimination based on gender.
In totality, the bill seeks to eliminate discrimination based on gender in the fields of economy, antagonistic treatment of widows, early marriage, women’s inheritance rights, politics, education and employment, and also takes a firm stand against domestic and sexual violence against women.

BUT were the lawmakers correct in their argument or simply being misogynistic?

“Traditionally, women are not equal to men. According to the Yoruba tradition for example, the husband is said to be the owner of the wife; he is the chairman of the home. But it is because some men are becoming lazy economically nowadays that women are now claiming equality with men. Men are above women. God Himself makes women to outnumber them so that men can marry as many women as they desire,” Chief Ademola Awolola Ifabunmi, a traditionalist answered in a telephone interview with Woman’s Own.

Product of mischief

“I don’t know of any sane religion that downgrades women. That is not possible in Islam. But was it not in your paper I read an article two days ago in which one of your columnists, Yinka Odumakin, itemized twelve erroneous facts about Islam? I want to believe he is your expert and has given you his own Islamic opinion. What again do you want me to say?

He has accused Islam of all the worst things in the world and given judgement already. Those were the worst things I’ve ever heard about Islam. I’m even disappointed your paper published such a trash because anybody who knows what Islam is will not allow such a blasphemy to go into a newspaper. Everything Odumakin said in that piece is a product of mischief against Islam,” Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, General Secretary, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, answered sarcastically immediately he heard this reporter was calling from the Vanguard.

He however turned down further attempts to have him speak, saying he was about boarding a flight.

Another scholar, Ishaq Akintola, Professor of Islamic Eschatology, activist and social commentator, without mincing words, however said both the Bible and Quran emphasize the need for women to lower their wings.

“Islam does not say women are slaves. No. They have their own peculiar rights and men cannot take those rights from them. Islam says women have equal rights with men in economy, they can run their own business, their money belong to them, including their dowry.

Prof Ishaq Akintola

“Many people pretend to be activists, with some claiming to be fighting for the rights of women. But when Muslim women are disallowed from using Hijab, they keep quiet because it doesn’t affect them. Now they want to override religion in the guise of activism. God has assigned to everyone his or her own roles. Our women have not told us they want to assume the financial responsibilities of the home. They’ve not said they will stop collecting allowances. So, why the hypocrisy? It is ungodly,” Akintola expatiated.

Meanwhile, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Founder, House on the Rock, was explicit in his response.

“The Bible makes it very clear that all human beings are created equal in the sight of God. In the contest of marriage, though the role of the husband and wife may be different, it never tampers with their equality,” he said.

Early marriage: Also alluding the aforementioned piece by Odumakin about the issue, particularly on the subject of early marriage, Prof.Akintola derided Odumakin, saying: “What does Yinka Odumakin know about Islam? How can Yinka be talking that way about Islam? I will demand an apology.

“You think it is among Muslims that early marriage is practiced? Go to states in the United States of America and you’ll see where marriage is allowed even as early as age 13. Can Yinka also tell us what he thinks about a Pastor who raped a 13-year-old girl and was given a bias six-month imprisonment sentence by a Christian judge for a crime as grave as rape? Nobody is making any noise about that.

Imprisonment sentence

“Yunusa and Ese Oruru were Romeo and Juliet and we all saw the love letter Ese wrote to Yunusa. But the young man was accused wrongly because he is of a different religion. When will Nigeria learn to respect one another’s religion?”

“Back to that bill, I want to state clearly that there is no single Islamic scholar who will support such a bill. We are asking the Muslims in the House of Representatives to examine their backgrounds. They will be disgracing Islam if they support such a bill. And the Senate President should forget about reconsidering that bill. For your information, that bill will not pass through because we are going to blacklist Muslim representatives and senators who support it.”

Gender equality foreign: Speaking on the entire concept of gender equity, while debunking claims that third world countries like Nigeria were backyard because of failure to allow women equal rights as humans, Chief Ifabunmi described gender equity as foreign to the Nigerian culture.

“That is a wrong ideology and it cannot work here. That’s why they make a lot of mistakes abroad. Women are made to be under men; that is however not to say any man should abuse or violate his wife. Nigerians who go to marry Americans, for example, are now suffering the consequences because if the woman decided to divorce them, she is granted most of the family properties by the court while the man is left with nothing.

Widows’ inheritance rights: Commenting also on the subject of widows’ inheritance rights which the bill also captures, Ifabunmi declared in clear terms that the African tradition does not require a bill such as that to determine who gets what.

“The will of the late husband is what everybody should honour because it is the man who knows who will manage his property better and also cater for his children. That’s why every man should have a will as soon as he starts acquiring properties,” he explained.

Both genders equally relevant: Although some Christian lawmakers also claimed the Bible doesn’t approve of gender equality, Adefarasin, while re-emphasizing the symbiotic role of both genders in marriage and the society, made plain his stand against the undermining of any sex.

Adefarasin

“The man is given the responsibility to lead in marriage and also consult his wife when necessary. The head, on its own, can’t work without the neck (woman). Hence, the leadership of the man is impotent without the support of the woman.

“In society, when you look around, you’ll observe women are performing better academically around the world, and have a natural penchant for caring for others, unlike men who are more concerned about their jobs. That’s why when you put a woman in a public office, she goes the extra mile to ensure the well-being of the vulnerable and everyone else. So, I therefore want to say both genders are equally relevant to any society,” Adefarasin said.