No religion, culture prohibits women from acquiring education

A lawmaker in the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hajiya Maryam Bagel (APC- Dass), says there is no religion or culture that prohibits women from acquiring education or participating in politics.

Bagel made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Bauchi.

According to her, women should not allow fallacies to prevent them from actualising their
dreams in any field of human endeavour.

“When you talk about religion or culture, there are things that are clear.

“There is no religion that says that women should not participate (in politics); there is no religion that says a woman cannot be educated.

“I am a Muslim, and in Islam, it is said that to educate a woman is to educate a nation and to educate a man you educate an individual.

“So people only twist the verses to fit what they want; so don’t think that we are not working against anything.

“Some of the policies that have are not favourable to women because women were not involved when such policies were made.

“So you if a woman is not involved in the participating in all these decisions making how can you cover areas that are sensitive to women.

“We are not fighting anybody; we are not doing things as women alone; we are doing things as the people of the state.’’

Bagel, who is also the state Chairman, High-Level Women Advocates (HILWA), decried male chauvinism, saying that it had a way of hindering societal progress.

She, therefore, urged men to see themselves as fathers, husbands, and brothers to women.

“If you deny a woman an opportunity to actualise her potential, you are indirectly denying your sister, daughter, or wife that opportunity because one day it will come back to hunt you.’’

The chairman explained that HILWA’s goal is to increase the number of girl enrolment and retention in schools and to increase the number of women in decision-making positions in the state.

“We cannot on one hand be encouraging them to go to school and, on the other hand, we are denying them the right to participate in matters affecting them and the right to hold positions either by election or by appointment.’’