I was scribbling down notes on gender inequality,
when a niggling thought wiggled its way into my
mind and engaged me in an irritating contest. I
tried as much as I could to silence the irksome
taunt of the voice in my mind, but it stubbornly
refused to go away. It was on the controversial
stance of Apostle Paul, who in his effort to preach
Christ by every means possible, denigrated and
subjected women in his trick to making the Jews
accept Christ because of his knowledge of the
Jewish law on the female gender.
More also, taken from the fact I felt in my mind
that there was nothing substantiating the girl
child’s rights in the scripture as every Igbo man I
came across in this course, felt that God himself
made it so, and knowing too well that both
Christians and the traditionalists drew their
inferences from the Holy Book either by instinct or
knowledge – through God’s dealings with His
chosen race-Israel. I was so miffed that I broke my
pen.
The next morning, before the break of dawn, I
heard a faint voice saying, “Pick up your Bible”. In
my usual brazenness, I replied to the voice, “I
should just pick up the Bible and start reading from
Genesis to Revelation? What would I be looking for?
The rights of the girl-child? No, I’ll not do that.”
Then I heard something like a giggle. Thinking it
was my husband teasing me, I turned towards him
in irritation but he was fast asleep. I scolded myself
for being so touchy so early in the morning. Then, I
slept off. When I woke up again by daylight, I
reluctantly picked up my Bible and it kind of
opened arbitrarily to a chapter and my gaze was
directed to a portion where the girl-child’s right of
inheritance to be observed as a legal requirement
is illuminated. A smile of thanks coursed through
my face and a huge sigh of relief escaped from my
lips. I have found the missing link, I mused. The
girl-child’s rights which a patriarchal society
concealed under a restrictive tradition and religious
tyranny have been uncovered. Centuries of
repression and deprivation have been severed by
the awesome power of the faint voice of truth. The
revelation gave me a sudden boost to continue my
work on gender inequality, and this is the rationale
for my proposition to the eastern governors.
Much have been said and done in the emancipation
and empowerment of the girl-child in the areas of
education, freedom of expression, choice and
decision-making as pertaining to her life, marriage,
sexuality and pregnancy/child birth. But there is
yet an area that is left behind that will give
perpetual support and sustenance to these others.
Given the many obstacles and denigration the
female gender is facing in Igboland, it is imperative
a grass-roots approach be taken to solving the
issue of gender inequality: establishing the girl-
child right of inheritance by a legal act in the
South-Eastern states where tradition is clutching so
hard on the female gender.
The girl-child’s right of inheritance will serve as a
process of facilitating, enrooting and providing the
means for girls to overcome the denigration they
face to attaining full access to their rights.
The issue of gender inequality can only be solved
by giving the girl-child the same sense of belonging
and equal rights to her father’s properties as the
boy-child in our homes and society, and this will be
solving the issue of women denigration from the
root and also the problem facing widowhood,
mostly, the widows with only girl-child/children.
By this, strength, wisdom, power and positivity will
be instilled in the girl-child to restore her lost
confidence due to harmful cultural/traditional
practices. This will also serve as a key to
transforming her into a powerful woman and a
leader who is able to blossom in the fullness of her
potential.
But in a situation where only the girl-child exists in
a home, she should be the one to inherit her
father’s property, not her father’s brothers.
Observing the right of the girl-child as a legal
requirement is my proposition to the eastern
governors and passing it as a law will be the right
solution to solving the gender inequality in our
society from the root.
This will go a long way in giving the girl-child a
solid foundation and strong sense of belonging in
her father’s house, making her a strong and
respected woman in her husband’s house and
someone not to be trifled with, if, in widowhood.

Ada Chinyere Cummings
Igando, Lagos
08020558188
http://punchng.com/2015/11/4070

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