Gender Inequality -By Hauwa Bello

Many countless and concerned people have spoken and written on gender inequality, but it seems nothing or less has changed. Gender inequality is a persistent problem all over the globe and unfortunately, there is a tendency that the issue of gender inequality may exist for many years to come.

This case of gender inequality is all over the world, but it is more prominent in some parts of the world than others. In the western European countries, it has been estimated to be the closest to reaching gender equality. Women are a very significant people in the world. But in the ” world of gender inequality” women are degraded to just house keepers.

Women have been denied so many opportunities that the world has to offer. They’ve been denied their rights to decide what they want and who they want to be. Therefore, it is the society or the norms of their tradition that decides who they become. This has caused a lot of women to battle with difficulty in their lives.

There are a number of women and girls who dream of being who they want, but unfortunately, after waking up from their big dreams to find themselves in this world of gender inequality, they unwillingly allow their destinies to be decided by their societies. The society has buried the potentials of such women in them , and dimmed their lights.

Women are being considered to be “weak” and that makes it rare for women to be seen in high ranking positions in the society. A woman’s ability for handling or dealing with problems are often underrated by the society, being conclusive that women lack the competence for dealing with problems. So for that reason, women are denied the opportunity to become leaders in our societies, even when they deserve leadership. In Nigeria, specifically the northern regions, women have little or no control on anything, as men are seen superior to women and better at handle everything. Women face lots of pressure since they are being forced by the society to be unambitious. There is a high rate of gender descrimination in such places, as girls are denied their freedom to education. They see it a taboo to let girls leave the house, so they become caged in the house and die with their potentials.

There are lots of women with potentials and dreams, but unfortunately after waking up from their big dreams to the world of gender inequality, they would not be able to see their dreams come true. How could a bird that is caged for eternity sing it’s melodious lyrics and chirp beautifully? How could it fly, winging its wings to create a beautiful scenario? This applies to a woman. She’s like a bird. If she is caged or locked up in the house, no one would see her potentials to appreciate.

Women face some kind of domestic violence because men believe they are more powerful than the women. For instance, a girl who has been married to an abusive husband would receive a series of hits and kicks, which may sometimes lead to serious injuries and scars. And in this case, even when the woman decides to leave the house to end the marriage, she feels like no one would accept her and every one would see her as a liability since she is not independent, so for that, she continues to live in that abusive marriage and end her life in agony. This has led many women to depression and some related mental issues.

The case of gender inequality has been a long time issue all over the world. But as we write, we hope that are voices are heard. We live with a heart filled with hope and positivity that the world would be free from gender discrimination, some day.