With confidence my birth was announced, not so for many girls in Asia, Africa... In your corner of the world, the phrase, "Wetin your neighbour born?" (Kini ara ile e bi?) and the implication may be lost on you, but not so for thousands of women who hang their heads and shy away from looking at the child after birthing their kind.
Many have had to welcome another bride for failure to "produce" a son, many kept "producing" until they had a son, for others even where the man celebrates and is satisfied with the birth of girls, the woman is harassed by other women to continue the unlimited "production"; for some, this has led to divorce especially where the family's resource is stretched as a result ... Sadly some are compelled to sign up for abortion and in worst case scenario, abortion is induced without the knowledge of the woman once scan reveals feminine features. When many hear female infanticide, fingers point to India but read your history books and you'd see that it spans across ages and continents... for most, it was a way of controlling population, for others it was a special sacrifice to a mute god!
The days of flogging girls for playing boys' game (football), dreaming to be engineers, daring to campaign for political post, may have eroded but don't you still hear statements like, "Girls are not good in mathematics!", "Boy's don't cry!", "How come a girl came first in your class?" "All your education will end in the kitchen!" Girls are still being subjected to gender based abuse - sexual exploitation, child-marriage, genital mutilation, forced organ harvesting... That tells you we are still far from done in the task of emancipating the girl child!
We can all stop the girl' killers!
Today, I join others to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child...
Over and beyond all the hypes, I implore women (and men) to accept the birth of girls as a priceless gift from God. I encourage you, to train girls, not as boys but as girls; open them up to opportunities beyond the restrictive walls of the classroom, encourage them to innovate and boldly light up a torch to help them see that they are capable of holding up their own. Let their confidence receive a boost by the fact that, even in the myopic branding of our space as "man's world", their positioning as nurturers keep men living, learning and labouring.
If your girl is a baby, find time to nurture her; let her know that humans care (not cage)... If your girl is a child, find time to talk to her; let her learn from you that humans talk (not bark)... If your girl is a teen, find time to take her out and share experience; let her learn that she is to be loved not abused... If your girl is a woman, find time to encourage and appreciate her, let her know that she is valued far above rubies!!!
If any girl in your area of influence has been caged, terrorised, abused, devalued... Please give her hope by caring, speaking, sharing and loving. When you treat girls right, the boys will take a cue from you...
Building a better world starts with you and I.
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