Bamise: Heinous Act Overshadowed Women’s Day in Nigeria -By Richard Odusanya

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.

It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.

Today, Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day whereas women in Nigeria are perceived as second–class citizens.

The Nigerian culture see women solely as mothers, sisters, daughters and wives. Being a woman in Nigeria, for example, means you’re oppressed, marginalized, and sometimes referred to as a weaker sex; and constantly being reminded daily that you belong to “Za ozza room”.

This explains why the rise of women in Nigerian politics continue to struggle with patriarchal structures that seek to relegate them to the realm of only economic production and reproduction.

Last Tuesday, the National Assembly voted on 68 bills in the proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution. Five of these bills were aimed at promoting gender balance in all aspects of our national life. That none sailed through speaks to how women are being increasingly discriminated against in Nigeria. One of the rejected bills sought to grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women in the same way automatic citizenship is conferred on foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. Another bill which sought to address the problems of discrimination women face when married to men from states other than theirs was also thrown out.

Notwithstanding the purported irrelevance associated with the status of women in the Nigerian society, much as we desire to celebrate our mothers, sisters, wives and daughters in a grand style, the recent events of the past few days in our country, particularly, the murder of a lady who boarded a public transport owned by the Lagos State Government has clearly overshadowed the celebration.

The gruesome murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Toyosi Ayanwole on public transportation and the removal of her organs for “money rituals” is another level of mindlessness and a confirmation that something is fundamentally wrong with us as a nation!

How do you explain the situation of similar occurrences on a daily basis? The other day, it was a set of teens caught with human body parts ostensibly from a dismembered body of one of their girl friend.

These numerous cases of women’s rights violation such as murder for the purpose of money rituals, rape, physical assaults and many others indicate that the Nigerian society has merely reduce women to an inferior commodity.

Given recent developments, there can be no better time than now to begin addressing all the impediments that are placed against Nigerian women. We must join the efforts of our women as they continue to fight all forms of discrimination that continue to keep them and our country down.

Happy #IWD2022 to all women despite the ugly situation.

Richard Odusanya is a Social Reform Crusader and the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI