GIRL CHILD SERIES : ACCEPTING THE GIRL CHILD.

Part of the difference we can make in our society today is to advocate against gender stereotypes that relegated the girl child to the background. Enjoy this write-up from a fellow advocate.

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If someone brought up the topic of gender preference, do you react by saying, ‘Gender preference? Really? Isn’t it a thing of the past?’ Your reaction is probably due to the fact that you see around you more girls among top-ranking students; more women having jobs, access to education, money and resources; more women holding positions of authority and making strides in all fields. But, what about all those girls and women who didn’t even get a chance to live?

Here are a few reasons for gender preference in Nigeria - socio-cultural factors like dowry, wedding expenses, custom of gift-giving, inability of girls to take care of parents after marriage, domestic violence, ill treatment by husbands and in-laws, ill treatment on account of giving birth to a girl, and so on. This gender preference goes hand-in-hand with gender discrimination.
Gender-based violence and honour killings are a global pandemic, and in some countries, women and girls fail to get even minimum protection against these.

So, how can we change this scenario, which doesn’t favour the female child?

Since change begins at home, parents are the best agents of change. We can begin by looking at the positives of having a girl in the family and her contribution to the society.

Women are -
√ Pillars of the future: Just as we say that the youth of today are the citizens of tomorrow, so is the same with our girls. They are the women of tomorrow. If we want to empower them, we must reduce inequality and gender gaps, and create strong women leaders. We have to let them live today and raise them to be those leaders of equality and development.

√ Change-makers: Brigham Young once said, “You educate a man, you educate a man. You educate a woman, you educate a generation.” Women are naturally more social and thus more inclined to help those around them. By bringing up their daughter with the right values and education parents can kick-start the change and create a change-maker.

√ Multi-taskers: Women are much better at multi-tasking. They are taking up roles, which were previously the preserve of men, like CEOs, entrepreneurs, while handling the home and hearth with equal flair. In some cases, they are also the providers in the family.

√ Creators of inclusive spaces: Women possess qualities like perseverance, a nurturing spirit, empathy, sensitivity which, when combined with complementary traits like planning and organising, are conducive to creating more inclusive spaces for people.

With such strengths that women possess, why should they continue to be sidelined? The girls of today are proving themselves equal to boys in every respect. They are distinguishing themselves as achievers in every field, from academics to sport to profession. They are successfully playing multiple roles in every sphere of life. Their will to develop and help others develop alongside is what can take our society forward. They are meant to be 50% of the population, their voices matter in creating a more equitable community. Moreover, they make a ‘house’ feel like ‘home’.

So, go ahead and welcome the girl child with a warm embrace!

By
Ndubuisi Gospel Chris.