Like most African men i was brought up to believe that no matter how old or accomplished a woman was she was still less than a man. This i agreed with and believed for years. Yet reality never seemed to agree with this, the girls in my school did just as well if not better than the boys, they worked just as hard and paid their dues as we did, yet for all their effort they were to get the short end of the stick. Now this does not happen everywhere but sadly it still does. Just yesterday a friend in a sales team of a multi-national complained of some customers who told her plainly to her face that “they did not like dealing with a woman”. A number face sexual harassment whether subtly or otherwise and another set have to give up their dreams to “care for the home” (which is not bad as long as its her choice)

I shudder to think of how backward my life would be if someone had denied my mother the education and economic empowerment she needed to care for me. Yet millions of children suffer everyday because their mothers were denied this. 

it does not make sense to me why society would ever choose to not empower almost 50% of its members just because of their sex. It is unproductive, discriminatory and borders on being inhuman. Now i don`t support extremism, rather i support equality that is blind to gender. One that rewards a person because of their performance and merit rather than gender. Women should be given the respect and opportunities they deserve and treated as “equal” partners. They have a lot of offer and we should not let such valuable resources go to waste.

cheers.

Original article by KESIENA OGBEMI,
Contributed By Titofunmi Taoreed