Stop Women Discrimination

        Women discrimination is something that has been with us for ages, especially in Africa and it's an error that really needs to be corrected. Most times women try to rise against this fact, they are been captivated or trapped by some socio-economic, political and educations issues. In addition, due to societal, religious, cultural and other persuasions, most people still hold firmly to the rather unscientific as well as subjective ideology that women are not supposed to involve themselves in any tangible or meaningful economic engagement. There exists a form of societal brutality against the women folk due to the fact that, they are usually restricted to a private life.

       In spite of the Beijing declaration on affirmative action, women in Africa are not yet in the mainstream of the political, social, and economic welfare of the nation. Several woman activists have fought against this issue but it seems to have little or no effects. These discriminations hamper growth and retard the full development of the potentials of the women in the service of humanity. There is huge need for a stop to women discrimination so that there will be a maximum participation of women in all fields so as to ensure full and complete development as well as welfare of the entire country. The contention here is that men and women need to work together in all fields of endeavour.

       Women have been neglected in several ways though they have also yielded positive performances in areas which they have held and are still holding. For instance, Mrs Ngozi Okojo-Iweala has helped and stopped the country from various doom, the minister saved the sum of about N5.6 million which otherwise would have gone into dubious deals orchestrated by contractor politicians who previously thronged the corridors of power. Going to her Okonjo- Iweala was vice-president and corporate secretary of the world power house to hold such a high position in the organization. Before this time, she has also held other management positions in Africa, the middle east of Africa, the Middle East and East Asian crisis and worked with that country on Economic reforms that resulted in the "Malaysia Miracle". Recently, she was appointed the minister of finance by the Nigerian government due to wonderful performance in the previous years.

       In addition, Article 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Right asserted that, "Equality of all before the law is paramount", The Article went further to state as follows: "All people shall be equal, they shall enjoy the same rights, and nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another". It is clear that, the Charter abhors both exploitation and domination under any guise. Hence, there shouldn't be any more discrimination either in governance or in policy making. On the other-hand, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)  preamble asserted that, “discrimination against women is an obstacle to the participation of women on equal terms with men on the political, social, economic and cultural life of the people”. This is a sure way by which policies that incorporate the interests of all parties are ensured. 

     In spite of  being discriminated against, women had contributed immensely in the educational sector through the Family Support Programme (FSP), under the leadership of the former first lady Mrs Zubairu, who organized series of seminars and workshops to enlighten the general public and the women folk on the need to educate their children. She also emphasized on the need to give equal education opportunities to both male and female children. Also, in the agricultural sector, women had made the greatest contribution through the developing world. Women have long played a vital role in rural development albeit both as labourers and decision makers. Besides being the main ones responsible for food production in Sub-Saharan Africa, women account for at least 70% of the stable food production. They feature prominently in food processing and marketing, cash cropping, and animal husbandry. Women's basic role in the development process like the tiling of land, carrying water pots, collecting fire woods for fuel and walking long distances to the market place is enough to earn them a better share of benefit in the developing process.

        It is also a fact that women are grossly under-represented in our political setting. It is also important to know that Nigerian women are politically active, but their activities have not always been rewarded with a commensurate share of political power. Neither in party, political position, nor in elective position do we find women in a number comparable to their numerical strength in the national population.  For instance, women hold about 50% of political positions in the nation's recent development in the political process indicates  that the situation is not very favourable to women.

     In conclusion, women participate effectively in the process of development but their labour and contributions are neither visible, recognised, appreciated nor adequately assured of various economic system. There is the need for a woman to work hand in hand with the man or have at least 70% of human rights in the political, social or economic life. The essence of the desirable relationship between men and women has been aptly captured by a Yoruba core of the three major ethnic groups in Nigerian Proverb thus: Bi okurin r'ejo obinrin paa, ki ejo ma sara tilo which means, if a man sights a snake, and a woman kills it, all is well as long as the snake does not escape. A great nation is built when there is active participation of the both sex.