‘Women need to be empowered through equal chances, not affirmative action’

A Professor of English Language in the Department of English, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Iyabode Nwabueze, has underscored the need for women to be provided with equal opportunities and a fair chance to succeed, rather than being given special treatment or sympathy through Affirmative Action.

The Don, therefore, advocated for a level playing field where women can compete and thrive on their merit.

Nwabueze disclosed this on Thursday at the university headquarters in Abuja while presenting NOUN’s 27th inaugural lecture.

During the lecture titled, “The Woman is First Human: The Linguistic Exploration of Her Womanhood”, the scholar explored the concept of womanhood through a linguistic lens, emphasizing that women’s humanity should be recognized before their gender.

The inaugural lecturer and former staff of The Guardian stressed the need for women to recognize their self-worth and dignity as God’s creations.

The Dean, Faculty of Arts at the institution said: “First and foremost, society needs to move from doing her a favour by allowing her to flourish.

“The woman should have access to all she requires to excel rather than giving her unnecessary concessions. By her makeup, she may need a bigger muscle to carry a bag of cement.

“That is what physiological structure made her to be, to have lesser muscle than the male. There is nothing to contest in this.

“However, she does not need to depend on anyone to write a paper or an examination for which she can do well by using her brain. What may be of help is for the man that wants her to work all day and then still come home to slave over the stove to realise that partnership is about mutual respect and understanding.”

She also called for the government’s intervention to address discrimination and gender-based violence, and tasked the National Assembly to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

While advocating intentional socialization to promote equality and self-sufficiency, the academic challenged religious organisations to involve women in their modes of worship and address patriarchal practices.

“Female politicians need to work hard at bonding among themselves. Women must support one another by providing training, mentoring, and possible financial support. Like noted in Daniel (2015), women already have the population and power to organise to get themselves good leaders who can deliver based on ability,” she said.

“This should not be merely based on that the person is a woman but because such a person is the best candidate for the job, with a proven track record and integrity. I support the plan of Senator Ireti Kingibe shared with my team on this score.

“I sincerely hope she actualizes that plan. We will be ready to be part of helping more women get into political and decision-making levels in Nigeria. We believe that a collaboration spearheaded by NOUN will play a big role in getting this done.”

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Technology Innovation & Research), Prof. Godwin Akper emphasised the importance of creating an equal opportunity environment for women, where they can compete and succeed in the same terms as their peers.