CONDITION OF THE FEMALE IN NIGERIA - OMOSOLA Joy IWETAN

The society has dealt with men and women on parallel pages especially in the African communities.

All over the world, women are treated differently from men - they are different of course - but mostly on the negative.

In Nigerian societies, this is not an exception as the plight of females become increasingly unthinkable. Women are being relegated without cause.  Traditional beliefs and norms have not help matters. The female is considered as lesser than the male. Say family, chieftancy positions, and the likes; a female is not equal to a male they say.  She does not possess equal rights as the man might possess.

For instance,  the tradition of major societies does not accord a woman who is without a man by her due prestige.

In the Igbo culture,  women are not allowed to utter some "peculiar" utterances as such utterances are regarded as pertaining to men. Meanwhile men can say whatever there is to say.  

It is also common in the Igbo culture and many others, that a woman needfully gives birth to a male child in her husband's house,  else none of the possession of her husband finds a bearing point in her marriage. It belongs to her husband's relatives. Wealth which the couple have gathered through joint efforts are dispersed to people who contributed in no significant way especially upon the death of her husband. Then she is left helpless, without a shelter nor a purse.

Another plight is that females in Nigeria are subjected to Sexual Abuse. The girl child has no power. Stories of how girls are being manipulated by uncles,  neighbors and even fathers is no longer news in our current days.

The girl's vulnerability is taken advantage of by men who have misplaced their priorities  and have no set purpose in life. They who ought to be protect the girl child have turned to become entities to be feared and be protected from.

Recently, I had a chat with a friend who thinks that he could be raped by a lady. You can imagine that?

I could not contain the surprise and mentioned that we had better begged that he doesn't assault the lady since having it the other way round is uncommon.

Someone mentioned on another website that ladies should not wear this nor should wear that so as not get sexually abused. That is a good enough measure but what does one say about the abuse of the girl who does not propose this with her slightest dress sense?

Young females are also being given out in early marriage.  This, is the height of Child Abuse.

Women are also a victim of exploitation.  Poverty is a major reason why women keep falling victim. Such situations whereby acquaintances of parents or guardians show up and ask to train up their wards in a foreign land while they promise greener pastures and good fortune to parents, existed then and still exists now.

Persuaded,  the female child is released unknown to parents that the child is later made to have sex in exchange for monies which are not even delivered to their parents or guardians.

It is quite pathetic that they are rescued a little late or not at all.  These ladies contract STDs and STIs while those who escape diseases spend the end of their lives being as miserable as aforetime.

Talk of the economy. Women who have ventured into the economic systems are rated more successful than many men.  This might be a proof that women are not born weaklings. If given the chances, the opportunities, a woman can rise above what has been framed for her by the society.  

Cases of women reaching prestigious and responsible positions that many men get so cheaply are very rare if not impossible in the Nigerian societies. This however, limits the woman as well as her society.  

Bearing in mind that women hold ninety-four percentage of the entire Nigerian population,  it is not wrong to claim that for every one man who has a purpose, there are two women who do too.

Although this fact is not put to mind by many Nigerian societies, it is thus gone to oblivion to our disadvantage.

Someone once said, that "if we have a society conducive for the female child, the male will learn to live better".

This answers the question why there are various advocates for the girl child and not so much for the boy child.

Special thanks to GirlHub Africa,  ONE, Bae's Aloe and every individual who is a protector of the female in our society.

If there are active measures taken against culprits who defile the female,  these ones defiled will not be afraid to speak up, they will not be helpless but fight against it to the warning of potential culprits.

My name is Iwetan Joy Omosola and I am a voice behind a pen! Together, let's 'write’ the wrongs!