Gender is Not The Problem

Greetings to all and welcome to week 140 of the weekly engagement of HiveGhana community, I am @sarahbaby and you are all welcome to my blog.

Growing up in a family of five children, four girls and one boy. I witnessed firsthand what gender inequality looks like. My father believes it's not wise to invest in training female children. To him and to Every Igbo man, the boy is the future, and the carrier of the family name. The girls are seen as temporary members who would one day marry and carries another man's name.

But today, the same daughters who were not worth sending to school, who would get married some day and start bearing another man's name, are the ones putting food on his table. They are the ones paying his bills, they are the ones supporting him and taking him to places he never imagined visiting. The son he placed all his hope in could not do what the daughters have done. That brings us to the question.

WHAT IS GENDER EQUALITY.

Gender Equality to me means, girls and boys, women and men being treated the same way, given the same rights, equall value and deserves equal opportunities, no discrimination.

Here in Nigeria, the birth of a male child is celebrated loudly, while the birth of a female child especially when the birth has occurred two to three times at a stretch, will be celebrated in silence or disappointment. Some men go as far as sending their wives away simply because they gave birth to girls, marry another woman who they believes will give them a male child Some women are insulted, abused, and even abandoned in the hospital for giving birth to female child, despite the fact that science has proven it that the gender of a baby is determined by the father.

Many female children has grown up believing that they are lesser humans, they are not important, they are not worthy, like my father always rings it in our ear then. When a girl is repeatedly told all these, she may begin to believe it, and that belief may hinder or limit her dreams even before she tries. I have seen many women making my country proud in different fields, in sports, in education, in politics, and in business. I have also seen men who has done well in these fields.

WHY GENDER EQUALITY IS IMPORTANT

Everything in life is not about gender, be it Leadership, Education, empowerment, intelligence, Talents, it is not meant for male or female. I have three boys and many people keep telling my husband and i, "You need to try for a girl" they keep saying it as if we are missing something, as if three healthy children are not enough just because they are boys. But I keep responding by telling them, "it is not the gender that matters , it is the training."

And yes a child is a special gift from God weather boy or girl. What really matters is the values, the discipline, the love and the guidance you inculcate in them. A well trained child will grow to be responsible, respectful, hardworking regardless of their gender. That believe that a family is not complete without a particular gender, that they need a son to carry the family name, they need a daughter for a balance are all fallacy. The truth still remain that children are precious gifts that is entrusted to us by God.

Our major concern should be, teaching them good character, teaching them to be respectful, responsible, and surrounding them
with love. When you raised boys with good values, they grow to become responsible men who will respect woman, support their families and contribute positively to the society. When you raised girls with good values, they grow to become supportive to their parents, financially, emotionally, and socially. When parents invest in all their children equally, there is chance that one or all will succeed.

WHY THERE SHOULD BE GENDER EQUALITY.
Are you a girl or a boy child? Did you choose to be born as a girl or a boy? I know the answer is no. Since you did not choose your gender, you need not to suffer for what you did not choose. You are born with the same abilities because God is not partial. A girl child is not a mistake and should not be treated as such. A woman is not a failure because she gives birth to a girl child, a father's pride is not measured by how many sons he has, no child should grow up feeling worthless because of their gender.
Gender Equality allows both male and female to rise together.

I am a stunch supporter of Gender Equality. What about you, let me know your thoughts on this topic.