BEING A PAPER PRESENTED BY LOIS OTSE ADAMS
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD, ORGANISED BY THE FIRST LADY, WIFE OF THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF ETSAKO WEST LGA, EDO STATE.
INTRODUCTION
The Nigerian Girl Child is female child who was given birth to, nurtured and raised in the Nigerian soil by her Nigerian parents to be a responsible female leader.
She is also one who has the potential and capacity to attain unlimited feat, be it in educational, political and other leadership positions; making her parents and society proud by being positively outstanding amongst her contemporaries.
She is one who has distinguished herself and stand out among her equals, therefore, she is a mentor, confidant, exemplar, teacher, pathfinder, trailblazer, nation builder, and one who stands when others are weary.
One whose potentials give a clue of how bright nation’ tomorrow can be; her lifestyle gives hope to a nation.
The Nigerian Girl Child is one when positively raised, the entire nation is built and empowered, she is a beautiful, intelligent, smart, Godly and homely damsel.
One who does not get prone to the aftermath effects of gender bias and discrimination, and one who cares for her husband and the community at large.
WHAT IS GENDER BIAS?
Gender bias is a subjective preference or prejudice towards one gender over the other, wherein either the male or female may be a victim.
It is an unfair, unjust and very subjective perception and disposition towards forming an opinion and or judgement in favour of or against any gender, which is generally referred to as “chauvinism” and or gender inequality in most climes.
As a form of prejudice and discrimination, it should have no place in any setting: Families, organizations, businesses, schools, etc.
The most worrisome aspect is the legality of gender bias, it is an area of huge contention in regard to pay equity between the genders.
IDENTIFYING ACTS OF GENDER IMBALANCE AND BIAS.
1. Unequal Pay: This is when a female have been unfairly paid or you have unfairly paid an employee having worked based on experience and good performance.
2. Maternity Issues: This is a process where an organization employ more males than females, it is high time we realised that raising children do not affect the skills of females.
3. Shouldering Responsibilities: Both males and females should be given equal chances to prove their worth in workplaces and attain higher levels. Competence Based Tests should be employed instead of looking for physical energies and abilities in the measurement of performance and general employee evaluation.
4. Subjection to Janitory Duties: Cleaning of toilets and other sanitary works for staff of an organization or in a family should not be made the exclusive preserve of female folk. Such duties should be done by both genders in alternative or rotational manner, if the quest for gender balance in our society must be achieved.
5. Interaction: Employ a gender- neutral tradition to interact with both your male and female friends, children, employees and colleagues.
6. Preference: You should not raise your voice at your sister or other female relations because your father has created a negative impression before you that, you are the special one or you were told that, one day, she will change her family name to another surname.
Let me announce to you that even after marriage female children may have equal share with male children.
7. Growth: A female child can reach as high as possible, given her skills and performance. Both male and female child can reach the skies, as the attainment and achievement of feats in life and in destiny for both genders remains unlimited.
8. Selection: After any job interview as an employers, let’s always base our selection and recruitment criteria on meritocracy and organizational standard and policy, which tends to place emphasis on skills, experience and ability.
The crude orientation and tradition of naively and myopically placing the male child over his very intelligent and experienced female counterpart is indeed very irrational and counterproductive. We should learn not to pick our male children to participate in a competition knowing fully well that our female children will do it better and bring home a trophy.
9. Choices: Do not respect your father more because he comes home and shout at you on every error made. Do not favour or being nice to a girl because you have been told male children are full of themselves, Show kindness equally.
10. Termination: Allow policies guide you in firing your employees, if you can fire a male employee for sexual harassment, a female employee who commits same offense should also be fired as what is sauce for the goose is also Sauce for the gander.
11. Sexual Harassment: Do not make dress code rules because of female employees only, any frown against indecent or improper dressing should be holistic.
12. Scholarships or Excursions: This is a very sensitive area that requires real attention. Let me focus on schools and parents, let the best child go for it, do not develop preference for the male child because you feel he is not prone to be molested or raped. Who told you male children can not be molested or raped?
WHAT MAKES ONE PRONE TO THE AFTERMATH EFFECTS OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION?
1. Lack of improved or advanced knowledge of oneself: Parents and teachers should help especially the girl child discover herself.
2. Lack of parental involvement: Parents should be best friends of the female children, ask the child what plan she has for herself, know that child and come in with your wisdom.
Today, If time permits us, I would like to know your plan, it is not too late.
3. Fear: The above mentioned lead to fear. Fear is a challenge and we need to kill it.
When one is afraid there is no mistake that is inevitable. The moment a girl child lacks the ability to air her views she becomes secretive, some in this category end up badly, getting pregnant, falling victims of bad relationships, not feeling loved etc.
4. Having Low self-esteem: Low Self-esteem makes a girl child feels she is not important in her environment, feeling inferior in the society, and this can be caused by poor parenting.
A female child from rich parents also fall into this, this makes them to be lured into joining secret cults, given a suppressive option of sleeping with a particular boy before she can belong.
Belong to what? A group of popular students in school?
With high self-esteem inculcated in her by her parents or teachers she can be leaders of several impacting groups in Nigeria and the world at large.
CONCLUSION
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore very pertinent to conclude that Gender bias, aftermath effects, etc can sometimes be hard to spot and in some instances, even harder to purge. But if you have listened carefully you will realised you are being arbitrarily discriminated against in the society and the aftermath effects of how the society treats you.
To this end, I urge all and sundry to do everything humanly possible and in accordance with the doctrine of ” Do to others what seemeth good unto you” to prevent them and you will be a much happier and healthier person.
Don’t conclude that you have missed it and now feeling despondent, Come and speak out today, there is someone who cares for you.
Thank you.
Lois Otse Adams
Founder, Udukhotse Foundation
Loisadams.star@gmail.com