At the time the acclaimed philosopher Sigmund Freud suggested that biology determines gender identity through identification with either the mother or father, he probably would have done remarkably well, so gender experts opine, if he had added that identification with either the mother or father is not synonymous with identification with the statusquo or social symbol of forbears.
While biology has succeeded in ensuring that a woman is not less a woman, gender identity on the other hand has succeeded in making her not less human, so as human, she has no, or should not have, barriers by reason of sex or gender classification, advocates say.
The daughters of the 21st century have long shut the pages on their grand mothers’ histories and their achievements all over the world are in leaps and bounds-whatever a human can do!
However, there are stumbling blocks which slow the progress of women in attaining great heights in the socio-political terrain and women have fewer opportunities than men to benefit from economic development with lower participation in the labour market.
Across the globe, country to country have continued to make attempts to make regulations to fight discrimination against women and the clamour for gender equity and equality appears unending.
As the global community again sounds out the need for a clearer understanding of how both women and men could work for the growth, stability and development of any nation, the United Nations clamours for Gender Parity, the chosen theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebration and again, stakeholders are keying into it. From Equality to Equity and to Parity, does it in anyway indicate that there is a friction of interests. Aanena Jemitola Fulani-Ojo, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Edo State, in this chat with our Principal Features Writer/Assistant Features Editor Ijeoma Umeh, says there is no basis for friction.
Excerpts
It’s Gender Parity this year and the campaigns are on even in your ministry. What difference would this year’s theme make in the light of efforts made over the years on gender and women’s rights issues?
Yes, beyond themes, the efforts made by every change agent, known and unknown, are in reckoning with the reality that despite the hardwork that women themselves have put into personal and self actualization even in the progress of nations, and the intervention made by those change agents, there are still inhibitions which tend to work against the progress of women, and often weaken their personal resolve to continue to do those things that are necessary for their own growth and the collective good of all, even the society at large.
Could we get insights into those inhibitions?
There are several, the natural, socio-cultural and socio-political inhibitors. First, we cannot undermine the fact that nature has carefully crafted a woman to appear less on the edge of power than her male counterpart, with all the vital signs that the human eyes can behold. Then culture, as dynamic as it were, continues to tilt the feminine specie to appear equally less on edge.
The socio-political factor, like culture too, are human conceived and implemented, designs that are like checks and balances to ensure that women do not move beyond boundaries of time and space.
With this pall-bearer-like picture, where does the campaign for parity leave women?
Well, it is not totally a grey matter, there is hope that as society continues to evolve and the onerous tasks that are invaluable in building a nation are being unbundled they will begin to fall onto women in pleasant places and with due performance, it would become even clearer that women are equally invaluable stakeholders whose contributions are better upheld than jettisoned or regarded with curiosity.
So it’s all a struggle….
The Gender parity campaign is actually not a struggle for a place among the male folk, nor is it a competition between the sexes, no, the campaign for parity calls for the teaming up of strengths and capabilities, as partners in progress to carry out tasks and which ordinarily should not be classified as belonging to a particular sex or gender.
Roles and responsibilities should not be stratified around gender lines. Parity essentially should diminish such classifications until men and women begin to see themselves as equal in terms of capabilities.
What is the position of the International Community on the Gender Gap and how is Nigeria different from the rest of the world in its perceptions of women’s class limitation?
The feeling is the same globally. The United Nations Women considers it critical to involve men and women equally as people of thought in all facets of development. Let someone decide to lay claim to weakness or incapability before they are labeled as such.
The global community is also unanimous in its thinking that stereotypes should be done away with, even if it concerns several women or even one woman. By that it would be wrong to make judgments based on perception or based on incident elsewhere or among a group.
In what areas would parity become a necessity?
No holds barred! Parity should not be sequestered around time and space like I did mention earlier. Equity, equality and parity mean that there is no measurement of roles around gender. Anyone can do or get what anyone can do or get.
How have women faired thus far in doing what they know how to do best?
Yes, they are getting at par but much work still needs to be done to fairly attain parity. The Gender Inequality Index, a Human Development Report by the UNDP considers a composite measure reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions-reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market and in my ministry we are equally critically looking at these three-pronged key issues in our advocacy.
The report underscores the need to more thoroughly incorporate the effects of status inequality based on differences in esteem and respect, alongside those based on resources and power.
Socially constructed gender roles, according to the report, are products of gender system which are often dichotomous and hierarchical.
Now, let’s look at the three dimensions – reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market-as they affect women’s development and gender equality. From the perspective of your ministry, would you be proud to say much has been achieved by the state government?
Yes, the Comrade Governor, like I mentioned in an earlier press statement, has through his administration’s policies and programmes, entrenched in the people’s consciousness the culture of respect for the dignity of all persons. He has put in place measures for women to be equitably represented in all spheres of development in the state, even in ensuring that their core needs are adequately met.
In reproductive health women still get free antenatal care and newborns also get free post-natal care. In governance women are getting their slots in the affirmative action ratio, heading key government agencies and parastals. In the labour market as far as employment is concerned, it is apparent we have more women in the civil service than men, as it were, and government is sensitive to ensuring that job distribution is equitably done. You can see women in the transport ministry driving the Comrade buses, you can find them as members of Edo State Traffic Management Agency. In any sector where employments are being generated women get their equal listing.
Empowerment is a major issue in tackling gender disparity and inequity and we are working tirelessly to ensure more women are educated, the adult literacy programme of the state government is open and functional, so also is the Skill Acquisition Programme, the wife of the Comrade Governor Iara Oshiomhole has also launched an empowerment initiative for all talking about the “We care Trust”. Access to credit and finance is also being improved upon and continually fine tuned to meet the economic needs of women , as we enjoin women to join various cooperatives to be able to benefit from these initiatives. The horizon is brilliant for women, even in politics.
