ON THE GENDER BILL

A few months ago, our red chamber henchmen voted out a bill seeking to enshrine the submissions of both the Conference for the Elimination of All Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Maputo Protocol on equal human rights in all UN member states. Biodun Olujimi, the senator representing Ekiti-South presented the bill on the floor of the Senate. And rightly so, almost all sitting senators voted it out before it got a second reading.
Since that memorable sitting took place in our hallowed chambers, women, right-activists, FIDA, a host of NGO's and other rights besotted bigots have condemned our senators for such show of bias and glaring uncivilized nature of the Nigerian society. Some have gone as far as raining abuses on our legislators of the red chambers. International rights organization like Amnesty International, U-Woman and a host of others have condemned this supposed display of discrimination against women.
But pause it, Nigeria like a host of other African countries is rooted in religious practices across various divides. Statistics show that we rank among the top ten most religious in the globe. So, from a religious stand point which would always be bias to mainstream sectarianism this bill is a total no go. To extol on this, Islam for example which represents almost 48 percent of the total Nigerians kicks against such absurd policies foreign to its ideals.
FIDA states the case of underage marriages of girls under the age of 18 such as the case of a sitting senator, Senator Ahmad Yerima who married a 13 year old girl from Egypt. It goes on to point out the obvious reality that it is marriages like this that cause health problems on underage girls who without their consent are led to have sexual activities with these salacious misogynists who pay heavily for their dower head. Complications like Uterus tear, Vesicovaginal Fistula amongst a host of other sexual complications afflicts these young ones. Bearing this in mind, though it would only be hypocritical to ignore this obvious realities as falsehood, the Nigerian constitution clearly allows for marriage rights to be judged by religious practices of the participants. So if a Yerima who did pay {“buy”} a whooping sum of a thousand dollars as bride price for the 13 year old, comes out to refute these allegations stating that he acted by every tenets of his religion. Is it then that Islamic laws should no longer be held sacrosanct by Muslims or rather that parents should be less enticed by pot-bellied sexists who price away their girl child for outrageous sums of goodies.
This argument against underage marriages and its resultant damages on the girl child although valid may not even get its fair hearing due to certain forces which will only hold unto religious ideals when it suits their whims and caprices. However this seems to be the only plausible submission of the proposed gender equality bill. Almost every other proposition of this bill is rooted in western ideals which are foreign to our culture as Africans. Take for instance the issue of abortion. The bill seeks to allow women and girls both married and unmarried to freely carry out abortions of their unborn children whenever and at whatever time during their pregnancy they feel they no longer want the child. This is barbaric to our custom and anti-decent to our self-styled health sector which seeks to reduce murder of infants whether during pregnancy or post pregnancy. A host of religions among them some Christian also kick against such unwholesome folly of murdering the young ones even before they see the world. It doesn’t matter if these children were forced on their mothers through rape or if they are a product of perverse fornicators who do not even bother to use protection during sexual exploits, these children should not be prematurely terminated. They are life forces as well as you or me and deserve the right to live. It is only in the case of posing health issues on their mothers should this children be aborted as a last resort.
The case of the Gay Rights Act as signed into law by the US, Britain and a host of other self-acclaimed civilized nations also comes into fray. Now IMF loans, World Bank loans, WHO & UN relief agencies are covertly introducing this amongst a myriad of other ill-omened conditions for granting aids to sub Saharan nations plagued with economic hardship. This is abominable and distasteful to both our cultural ideals and our religious creeds. The Christian denomination worldwide are having a problem with the Gay Rights Act. The Church of England in Canterbury has signed the document and allows its brethren to partake in such barbaric practices. Some sects of Islam have also introduced this alien practice into the deen. This has militated into the breakaway of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria from the general body. This are positive moves that deserve commendations. Only few countries like South Africa have agreed to such laws been passed. Mugabe spoke against, Paul Kagame of Rwanda rejected it out rightly when the IMF decided to forgive debts partialy on the conditions of its passage and even Uhuru Kenyata of Kenya who is noted for his soft spot for western sectarianism heavily criticized the Gay Rights Act and the CEDAW submission in generality.
On a final note though, it should be noted that laws like these are alien to our norms and practices and should be stopped from penetrating into our society all in the name of civilization.

JAMAAL OKHUOSAMI

As long as majority of our law makers are men who want to marry as many wives as possible any such bill is dead on arrival. The ministry of women affairs which should be fighting for such things has become politicized.

I suggest the scrapping of that ministry as soon as possible.

Pidggin:
As long as majority of our law makers are men who want to marry as many wives as possible any such bill is dead on arrival. The ministry of women affairs which should be fighting for such things has become politicized.

I suggest the scrapping of that ministry as soon as possible.

My article stands against this bill though. I think we should not complicate our present complex ethno religious society with bills such as this.

BenzEne1:


My article stands against this bill though. I think we should not complicate our present complex ethno religious society with bills such as this.

You keep referring to Africa /ethnic culture as if it helped anyone. How many of our ancestors lived in sky scappers or drove cars, how many of them used gas to prepare meals or sat in air conditioned sitting rooms?

You are painting Western culture bad yet their innovations have brought comfort to us and helped even in communication. How can over 250 tribes communicate with one another if not by a universal language?

African culture like FGM, burial obligations of some tribes is PATHETIC (some widows are asked to drink the water used in bathing their dead husbands), early marriage, no status for females, right to inheritance, in some tribes women don't have the right to own property and so on

Don't forget that Nigeria is a secular country, you can't keep quoting Islamic, traditional or Christian laws. Secular countries follow the United nations standard human right laws, take note

Pidggin:


You keep referring to Africa /ethnic culture as if it helped anyone. How many of our ancestors lived in sky scappers or drove cars, how many of them used gas to prepare meals or sat in air conditioned sitting rooms?

You are painting Western culture bad yet their innovations have brought comfort to us and helped even in communication. How can over 250 tribes communicate with one another if not by a universal language?

African culture like FGM, burial obligations of some tribes is PATHETIC (some widows are asked to drink the water used in bathing their dead husbands), early marriage, no status for females, right to inheritance, in some tribes women don't have the right to own property and so on

Don't forget that Nigeria is a secular country, you can't keep quoting Islamic, traditional or Christian laws. Secular countries follow the United nations standard human right laws, take note

I don't deny that our culture and religious practices are marred with gory practices.
So you'd support abortion and the gay rights act. I don't deny the importance of the western knowledge and the technological advancemen it has brought. But these little ad ons they dress their advancement with repulses. I'll ask you straight though, would you abort a child because you not ready for it? And would you, if you get to know your sister or brother is gay still feel the same about them? These are just instances tho.