Protecting Her Rights

Sometime last year, in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, I had the opportunity to discuss “Women’s Rights” with a group of students. During the Q&A session, a young man, probably in his second year, asked me why I chose to advocate for women’s rights when there are so many other pressing issues to advocate for. This question not only caught my attention but also reminded me of the numerous challenges women face in our society.

I replied, “Sadly, in Africa and some continents, women are seen as marginalized people, and this has inspired inequality, gender-based violence, and other ill-treatments meted out on this particular gender. “I have seen ladies who were deprived of education, positions, landed properties, money, and other valuable assets simply because of their gender. In some African cultures, women don’t get any share of the inheritance left by their deceased parents. Some fathers believe that investing in their daughter’s education is a waste of resources because, at the end of the day, she’d get married and eventually become a housewife. This misconception is not only harmful but also perpetuates the cycle of inequality.

During the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child, I was at St. Lucy Secondary School, Ifite Awka, Anambra State, where I taught Gender-Based Violence to the Senior Students of the school. I remember asking them a thought-provoking question: “Why is it that after marriage, many visionary women who have invested a lot into personal development abandon their dreams and aspirations just to focus on raising kids or simply put, ‘just to focus on marriage’?” The answer lies in the societal expectations and pressures that women face. Many men killed their wives’ dreams and aspirations because they couldn’t come up with ways to support and keep their women growing after childbirth.

These days, many visionary girls are afraid of getting married; they want to achieve most of the things on their bucket list first because they know that the majority of men would demand they swap their dreams for child-bearing.

As Dr. Myles Munroe, a renowned author, once said, “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted.” Permit me to add that many of these untapped potentials were that of women who had no other option than to swap their dreams and aspirations for motherhood because our tradition demands so.

The Chinese quote, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago and the second best time is now” reminds us that it is never too late to make a change. Today, I urge everyone to join me in promoting women’s rights and protecting them against gender-based violence and  harmful traditional practices that stop them from maximizing their potential and attaining greater heights. As Barrack Obama, the former President of the United States of America said, “You can judge a nation, and how successful it will be, based on how it treats its women and its girls.”

The African Proverb, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” highlights the importance of investing in women’s empowerment …

Again, I looked at the young man who enquired why I chose to advocate for women’s rights and said, “I need not wait until my sister, mother, or daughter faces these ill-treatments before I stand up to speak against them. And until we stand up for our women, we’ll never witness a safe, sustainable, and progressive community.” As we strive for a more equitable society, let us remember that promoting women’s rights is not only a moral imperative but also a necessary step toward creating a brighter future for all.

To achieve this, we must work together to:

• Challenge and change harmful traditional practices and stereotypes.
• Support education and economic empowerment programs for our women and girls.
• Advocate for policies and laws that protect women’s rights.
• Engage men and boys in promoting gender equality.

Together, we can create a world where women are valued, respected, and empowered to realize their aspirations and make a continuous lasting impact as this is the key to accessing sustainable development.

Victor Onyekwelu