Friday 17 September 2010

Nigeria at 50 ,the 2011 elections and the Nigerian Woman as a stakeholder.



Nigeria will be celebrating 50 years of independence come 1st of October, 2010. This definitely calls for celebration. As we can see the government of the nation is preparing for this day, with much pomp and pageantry, and so is the citizenry. The feeling is indeed in the air
As a woman and a social change agent, the issues and state of our Nation today has diverse effect on the Nigerian woman, on her level of growth and capacity.
History tells us of notable Nigerian women who fought gallantly and emerged in Nigeria's political landscape and nation building; the likes of Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Margaret Ekpo, Queen Amina to mention a few. Today, the Nigerian woman despite all she encounters still is, the bedrock of the family, holding it together. The number of women in top profile jobs and political office has surged, but despite these, the quality of life and circumstances of the Nigerian woman is still far from reaching an acceptable standard of advancement or development in modern Nigeria of today.


The Issues the Nigerian Woman faces

Violence against women; Physical, mental and financial abuse, sexual harassment and rape, domestic violence, under aged marriage and injustice is still widely perpetuated on the Nigerian woman, Eg the Ijeoma Okere saga, the ethnic massacre of women and children in Jos, Plateau state earlier in the year and the traditional ruler that publicly beat his wife in one of the states are a few that comes to mind.
The Nigeria woman’s mortality rate remains high and there is a direct correlation between her low status, violation of human rights and HIV transmission.
The healthcare sector is failing the Nigerian woman and children. Eg the recent incident of the twins that died, because medical personnel in an hospital, turned them away in the middle of the night, as their mother didn’t make a deposit due to the time of day and could not readily raise funds.
The public education sector has failed the poor, the grassroots and our youths, many of whom, have been left as hustlers, miscreants and cyber thieves rather than the gifted, determined, energetic future leaders that they really are
Widows are not left out.
The girl child and woman trafficking remain rife in our society.
The unemployment rate in the country has an end result on the Nigerian woman, family and her home.
Tribal and religious unrest has lasting effect on the Nigerian Woman and her family.
Lack of national security makes the woman most vulnerable.
Nigeria woman still faces huge under representation in democratic governance despite making the highest percentage of the population in the society.
Yes Nigeria should celebrate, this landmark event in our history, but it is also a time for deeper reflection. A time when we should take stock of the last fifty years, in order to prepare for the next 50 years of our great nation and negotiate what it will hold for The Nigerian woman and her loved ones.
I believe it is only by getting actively involved that the Nigerian woman can have her issues solved and better influence her society.So it is time to rise up!

THE JANUARY 2011 ELECTION.
Let us take more than a few seconds to reflect deeply about the political climate in Nigeria at the moment. Again the call for credible elections has been made, but I beg to ask the question? Are the aspirants out there, parading themselves as having the interests of us all, credible people, too. Both are together, credible aspirants and credible elections.
What is their pedigrees, and what does their manifesto say of them and their plan for us all? Without them coming forward themselves, would you ordinarily have chosen them to represent you?
This is no time for us to keep quiet and let it be business as usual. You see the problem continues because we choose to say there is nothing we can do about it. But I beg to differ. We can do something about it, by choosing to get involved. Be in the know of what is happening in your constituency, ask questions, contribute your own ideas, do not just keep quiet.

 WAY FORWARD!
Nigerian Woman, arise! Do not remain silence any more. Yes the whole society need to rise but as the bedrock of the family especially in the African culture, and the ones that is mostly affected by the system, we are the ones that have to take charge of the change, at least right now! because it affects us the most.
The Nigerian Woman of influence, I plead with you, the issues the Nigerian women faces, need you to rise up to influence true and lasting change for all of Nigerian women.
Now, more than any other time is when we need more women to rise up to begin to challenge the statusquo and to be negotiating a better welfare and well being for the Nigerian woman. No one else will do it for us but us.
If we keep quiet, everything else keeps quiet with us. Rise up and take the baton as the much needed role models and ambassadors of the society and champion the cause of that change the Nigerian woman need.

GOD BLESS NIGERIA.