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Why Women Should Be Celebrated More

By Dennis Da-ala Mirilla
22 March 2018   |   3:00 pm
It is amusing that some people argue that mothers are overhyped. Some others say that fathers should be celebrated just as much as mothers because fathers are also parents. In celebration of the National Women History Month, on Thursday the 8th of March, women marched in Lagos to the Governor’s office to propagate the gospel…

It is amusing that some people argue that mothers are overhyped. Some others say that fathers should be celebrated just as much as mothers because fathers are also parents. In celebration of the National Women History Month, on Thursday the 8th of March, women marched in Lagos to the Governor’s office to propagate the gospel that women should be treated equally because they are just as human as men. A few people shamed this march, saying that women were “doing too much”. But is this true? Should both women and men have months dedicated to their histories?

 

Photo credit: Womenforwomen / Instagram

 

A few years ago, the United Nations launched the “UN Women” and the conversation came up again about treating men unfairly. The argument was that, for there to be a balance, the UN must create “UN Men” as well.

But why are women deserving of this celebration, especially in Nigeria.

First, there is always a double standard with men. That is men are judged differently from women. The most obvious instance perhaps in our country could be in marriage. It is no news that women are oftentimes blamed if their marriages. In cases of divorce, people are quick to blame the women for the failure of the marriage. Of course, the two parties are to share the blame, but one shouldn’t be disgraced and shamed while the other is exonerated and praised almost. Society somehow has made men inherently blameless particularly with regards to failure in marriages.

We must hasten to clarify that corruption and embezzlement are bad and must not be tolerated either from men nor women. But in the same breath of clarification, we are only using it as an instance to shed light on the double standard behaviour that is apparent in Nigeria. It is clear, therefore, that society is unfair to women in this regards and deserve more from us.

Also, our culture is unfair to women. When it comes to raising children more is expected of women. Nigerian women are raised to be nurturers; they must always have it at the back of their minds that they would have children and nurture them. This idea drives women from pursuing careers that keep them from performing this role. Unlike women, men are raised to be providers. When arguments like this are raised, it becomes easy to agree with the counter notion stated in the introduction about men having months dedicated to them as well. So people would say women are nurturers and men are providers making it balanced. But this conversation is more than drawing a balance sheet. Women are not only raised to be nurturers but also to be providers.

Many modern-day liberal feminists would argue that men and women are equal and so men can also do all the things that women do. Of course, equality goes beyond a mere affirming statement or declaration that one agrees with the idea. It’s about actively performing the tenets of the idea.

These same liberal feminist Nigerian men would also argue that they can’t wake up 5 AM to cook for the family on a daily basis or perform some other gender role prescribed for Nigerian women because “a man shouldn’t do that”.

There you have it; women do much more nurturing than their male counterparts in general and as such are deserving of certain celebration and respect.

Biologically in the process of reproduction, women with no doubt carry the bulk of the responsibility. They have to deal with the hormonal imbalance, the cravings, the pains, the discomfort and a whole lot more than their male counterparts deal with. Inside them, the baby matures. This shows that biology even is not fair. Hence, we must balance this unfairness in the little way that we can; by celebrating women more. Happy National Women History Month.

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