It is with mixed feelings that Nigerians mark 10years of uninterrupted civil rule. Various fora held across the country to mark the anniversary witnessed intense debate with some participants arguing that there is nothing to celebrate, while others were of the opinion that we have at least kept the soldiers in their barracks for a decade.
Well, how has the Nigerian women fared in the last 10years? Are they more politically relevant now than they used to be? Have they had their fair share in politics? Would the next decade throw up more Nigerian women as bastion of a new Nigeria?
I spoke with an academic icon, Prof. Felicia Oyekanmi, on issues bothering on the Nigerian women. Prof. Felicia Oyekanmi is the Head of the Sociology Department of the University of Lagos.
Here is an excerpt of that exclusive interview:
Prof. Felicia Oyekanmi
Question: Your researches over the years has thrown you into the frontline to address gender issues. And that has informed the publication of your books and monographs. In your opinion, what is our own peculiarity in Nigeria as far as gender issues are concerned?
Prof. Oyekanmi: Gender issues deal with differences between male and female in terms of access to resources, in terms of development issues, problems being faced and so on. And within the Nigerian context, what I've found to be the main problem is the gap between male and female in terms of access, for example, to formal labour force, industrial employment, or whatever you want to call it, that is not within the family......What access do women have to formal education? Have they had equal chances as men? The girl child, the boy child, what are the difficulties they are facing? And it's when you then look at it in the totality of the cultural environment of Nigeria that we have been able to stress that the female is more disadvantaged than the male. For example, I've been talking about the problem of child bearing, child rearing, the Nigerian woman is expected to have children, to bring them up, yet because of the economy we are in now, the woman again is expected to work outside the home to bring some money home. And sometimes this contribution can cause conflict. For example, if your husband sees that you are more well off than he is, there may be jealousy, there may be problem and so on. These are the problems that we have been considering within the Nigerian context.
Question: You have traveled wide in the course of your work, and you have met with women from different parts of the world. How would you rate the Nigerian woman in terms of career development?
Prof. Oyekanmi: If you are talking of aspiration, what do the woman hope to achieve, I would say the Nigerian women are very, very progressive. The Nigerian woman wants to have a good job, wants to have a good life, yet she wants to be married, she wants to have children. Unlike some other countries where for example, in the western world, a woman may decide that she doesn't want to get married because she wants to devote her time to her career. And there are instances where efforts are made consciously by the governments of these countries to encourage people to marry and have children. So with us, high fertility is more of the problem. Right now, the total fertility rate in Nigeria is about 5.7. That is, the average woman has in her life time about 5 to 6 children....In terms of ambition, yes, the Nigerian women are very ambitious, because they want to be reckoned with in the world of development. But in terms of limitations, the Nigerian woman also face certain limitations.
Question: We have had certain women in Nigeria that have inspired their male counterparts. We have women like Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance, and we also have you too and others........Do you think we have attained gender equality in Nigeria, and if not, is it attainable by 2015 as a date set by the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals?
Prof. Oyekanmi: No, I wouldn't say we have had gender equality. But then it depends on what sphere you are looking at. At the economic level, No. At the political level, No, because even the UN women development target that said at least 30 percent of political posts should be given to women, this has not been achieved yet in Nigeria. So in terms of that again, we have not got there. And the Millennium Development Goals that set the year 2015? No, I don't see us achieving it.......Because right now, political power in Nigeria equates with economic power. People who hold offices are not there because they wnat to perform service for the country, but because of what they can gain. So, to the extent that politics of exclusion which we have in this country cannot allow women to be at par with men as prescribed by the MDGs, there has to be a complete change of orientation in the country, whereby you go to an office to serve, not because of what you can gain from there.......
Interview conducted by Adedayo Adetoye
Well, how has the Nigerian women fared in the last 10years? Are they more politically relevant now than they used to be? Have they had their fair share in politics? Would the next decade throw up more Nigerian women as bastion of a new Nigeria?
I spoke with an academic icon, Prof. Felicia Oyekanmi, on issues bothering on the Nigerian women. Prof. Felicia Oyekanmi is the Head of the Sociology Department of the University of Lagos.
Here is an excerpt of that exclusive interview:
Question: Your researches over the years has thrown you into the frontline to address gender issues. And that has informed the publication of your books and monographs. In your opinion, what is our own peculiarity in Nigeria as far as gender issues are concerned?
Prof. Oyekanmi: Gender issues deal with differences between male and female in terms of access to resources, in terms of development issues, problems being faced and so on. And within the Nigerian context, what I've found to be the main problem is the gap between male and female in terms of access, for example, to formal labour force, industrial employment, or whatever you want to call it, that is not within the family......What access do women have to formal education? Have they had equal chances as men? The girl child, the boy child, what are the difficulties they are facing? And it's when you then look at it in the totality of the cultural environment of Nigeria that we have been able to stress that the female is more disadvantaged than the male. For example, I've been talking about the problem of child bearing, child rearing, the Nigerian woman is expected to have children, to bring them up, yet because of the economy we are in now, the woman again is expected to work outside the home to bring some money home. And sometimes this contribution can cause conflict. For example, if your husband sees that you are more well off than he is, there may be jealousy, there may be problem and so on. These are the problems that we have been considering within the Nigerian context.
Question: You have traveled wide in the course of your work, and you have met with women from different parts of the world. How would you rate the Nigerian woman in terms of career development?
Prof. Oyekanmi: If you are talking of aspiration, what do the woman hope to achieve, I would say the Nigerian women are very, very progressive. The Nigerian woman wants to have a good job, wants to have a good life, yet she wants to be married, she wants to have children. Unlike some other countries where for example, in the western world, a woman may decide that she doesn't want to get married because she wants to devote her time to her career. And there are instances where efforts are made consciously by the governments of these countries to encourage people to marry and have children. So with us, high fertility is more of the problem. Right now, the total fertility rate in Nigeria is about 5.7. That is, the average woman has in her life time about 5 to 6 children....In terms of ambition, yes, the Nigerian women are very ambitious, because they want to be reckoned with in the world of development. But in terms of limitations, the Nigerian woman also face certain limitations.
Question: We have had certain women in Nigeria that have inspired their male counterparts. We have women like Prof. Dora Akunyili, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Finance, and we also have you too and others........Do you think we have attained gender equality in Nigeria, and if not, is it attainable by 2015 as a date set by the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals?
Prof. Oyekanmi: No, I wouldn't say we have had gender equality. But then it depends on what sphere you are looking at. At the economic level, No. At the political level, No, because even the UN women development target that said at least 30 percent of political posts should be given to women, this has not been achieved yet in Nigeria. So in terms of that again, we have not got there. And the Millennium Development Goals that set the year 2015? No, I don't see us achieving it.......Because right now, political power in Nigeria equates with economic power. People who hold offices are not there because they wnat to perform service for the country, but because of what they can gain. So, to the extent that politics of exclusion which we have in this country cannot allow women to be at par with men as prescribed by the MDGs, there has to be a complete change of orientation in the country, whereby you go to an office to serve, not because of what you can gain from there.......
Interview conducted by Adedayo Adetoye
Tel: +2348051912385
e-MAIL: dayoadetoye@gmail.com
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