By Denrele Animasaun

“No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens” – Michelle Obama

Last Sunday was  mother’s day in the UK and Last Tuesday,the world celebrated International women’s day and this year’s theme : #PledgeForParity.

In many countries,the progress to achieve gender parity has been very slow and in some countries, it is non existence. You would have thought that, as women play a crucial role in all aspects of life and living, they would be accorded their worth and value. I   mean, if women were paid for being mothers alone, they will be very,very rich indeed.  We have many formidable,capable and highly educated women in Nigeria. At the same time we have many girls and women who are denied the opportunity of an education and a way to lift themselves out of poverty.

Having an education does not guarantee parity. In the workplace, a woman who does the same work as a man is more likely to be paid between 25 -50% less in pay.

The World Economic Forum predicted in 2015, that they estimated that a slowdown in gender parity  and the progress wouldn’t close entirely until 2133.   Women have a while to wait and that is a gross injustice.

In the global gender gap index league table of ranked 145 countries, with Iceland holding on to the top position for the seventh consecutive year.  Other Nordic countries – Finland, Sweden and Norway – fill out the top four. Rwanda ranks sixth and it is the highest-rated developing country in the world, achieving a greater level of equality than the UK, the US or Germany.

The UK is ranked 18th, coming in below South Africa, Namibia and Nicaragua. It scores very highly in health and education, but a lack of women in parliament means it scores poorly for political empowerment.

Nigeria did not fare well, and it was 118th in the ranking   and it can do better.   I am sure there those who are not concerned that   Nigeria did not make it higher in the ranking. They should be concerned, we all should be. We all have to share the   responsibility of lifting our girls and woman   so that they can live up to their full potential. so if   Rwanda, South Africa and Namibia, can so why can’t Nigeria?

According to the World Bank,if, young Nigerian women had the same employment rates as young Nigerian men, they would add 13.9 billion Naira in annual GDP. It makes sense, you would think that Nigeria, should work towards mandatory education for   all girls, just as it is for boys.   Girls are often not given that opportunity as in our society we often write off the girl child.  In a nation of 180 million people,women make up 49.5% of the population so there is no better place for parity.

It is common in our culture to place more value on boys than girls. You can see that, in that way we react at the arrival  of a baby boy; that of jubilation and in contrast,the arrival of a baby girl is often greeted with muted commiserations from friends and family. If the truth be told, the mother is often made to feel a failure if she does not provide the family with a male and a heir.

The odds are already stacked against the female and Nigeria is not alone.  The sad fact is one-quarter to one-half of girls in developing countries become mothers before age 18 according, to the United Nations Population Fund. The focus should therefore be on health and human rights of girls and women.Only then, we can begin to seriously make the pledge towards gender parity. Let us do away with soundbites and the rhetorics, we need commitment and actions. We need to change our mindset in the way that girls and women are treated in our society.

The wife of the Vice president,Mrs. Osinbajo, highlighted this concern in the service to Mother’s Day at the Aso Villa Chapel at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that she   regretted that girls who are supposed to be mothers of  tomorrow  were no longer safe in the country.

“The girls are under threat “   Mrs. Osinbajo said that many girls in the country are passing through difficult times as they are being sexually abused, abducted and killed. that Nigerians must joined hands to help the girl-child.

She said, “What do you teach them because they cannot give what they don’t have? The mothers of  tomorrow  cannot be mothers if they don’t have what it takes.   I   fully agree.

The Gender in Nigeria in 2012 report indicated that young women ages 15 and 24 are more likely to have experienced physical abuse.  Most men are more likely to justify physical l abuse and this happens on a daily basis in Nigeria. We often downplay this and we normalise this   crime. the   sad fact, is domestic abuse is not seen as a crime nor is it treated as crime.

How   can we say we value our women and treat them like punching bags or fail to recognise their   contribution to our nation?    Until we have an open conversation and a public   information drive,then I   am afraid, we can not begin to make any progress in creating a better Nigeria.

From my   mail bag on BLINKERED MAJORITY

published March 6, 20162 OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

“Hope this meets you well. I write to congratulate you on your Article on page 20 of today’s  SUNDAY  VANGUARD. THANK YOU FOR THIS “bull’s eye” of an Article. It was a bold, straight,unedited message from a balanced mind. I really thank God for your incisiveness. I would just add that I can well believe that Yunusa and the Girl had been in an illegal liaison that went awry. The publicity has ruined the Girl for life.  I would advise that for the sake of the unborn they should marry and she can leave the Baby with her parents ,continue and finish her Education and go back to Yunusa when she would have the Marriageable age. Just a suggestion. Sincerely Hairat Balogun.”

Dear Mrs Balogun,

Thank you for your email. Nigerians fail to grapple with the fact that we are failing our young girls. So pleased that we on the same page and we can only hope that there are more people with similar views so as to form a ripple and a shift in our society’s consciousness.   The truth is, that it sometimes feels like a lone voice in the wilderness.

They say, you educate a woman, you educate a generation. Empowering women will help our economy and improve the health of our nation. It is important to strive and give our young females the opportunity to reach their fullest potential and not consign them to   early marriage and poverty.

I hope that Ese is given the chance to return to school and complete her education. If she does go back to school,and on completion, she will be a different person and Yunusa may have to get an education himself if their relationship is to survive.   As I mentioned, the real victim here is Ese.

Thanking you for taking time to write to me.

Kindest Regards,

Denrele Animasaun.