BY VICTORIA NGOZI IKEANO
 
Victoriangozii@gmail.com 08033077519
 
This month of March seems to be a special one for women. Last Sunday, the United Nations organisation (UN), a global body, comprising of all countries in our world marked International Women’s Day, This coming Sunday, the 15th of March, the church  will mark ‘Mother’s Sunday’, a day set aside to celebrate mothers.  For Muslim faithful, the 30-day period of fasting (abstaining from food, drinks and other ķ things from sunrise to sunset) continues in the month of March.  During this period of Ramadan which rolls over to the month of March, Mustim women daily attend gatherings for lectures that are meant to make them understand more, the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (PBOH). For Christians, Lent also continues in this month of March. Lent is the period from Ash Wednesday to the day before Easter “during which ..Christians give up food or activities they enjoy in memory of Christ’s suffering”.
 
 It is noteworthy that both Muslim and Christian faithfuls started their fasting periods same day  this year, namely on February 18, 2026. While the Muslim fast will culminate in the Sallah festival on March 21/22,  2026, the Christian 40-day fasting will be rounded off  with Easter celebration on April 5, 2026.  The bottom line is that believers are at this time shifting their gaze from ephemeral earthly trifles and looking upwards in supplication to the Creator,  We are inwardly seeking for lasting spiritual values at this period of Ramadan/Lent. There is reflection on life in general and we are beginning to ask the great questions of life:  Why are we here, what is the purpose of life on earth; why is there so much turmoil, disharmony in our world from the small family unit to the larger environment, among countries, in big and small things? Questions, questions,  If we genuinely seek in humility with an earnest longing  (at these fasting periods and at all times) to be true human beings that radiate peace and blessing to our environment,  irrespective of where Life places us here on earth, we shall find answers to these probing questions that assail our hearts. Not immediately, but gradually. It appears I am digressing….
 
Let us return to the specific topic ,of the status of women against the background of the searchlight being beamed on us on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, celebrated on the 8th of March every year. There are special gatherings, meetings to commemorate the day. At these events lectures, talks, speeches are presented from broad segments of the society. They all generally lament the sorry condition of women in Africa and other developing countries. And they end with a call to empower women socially, economically and politically. Truly, on the surface, the standing of women has improved generally;  from centuries ago when they were viewed as ‘sub humans’ more or less, to what obtains now when they enjoy a number of rights that were formerly denied them in bygone days. For example, females now have access to education from kindergarten to university level. Harmful traditional practices against women have generally been eased off although the touchy issue of child marriages still persists in some parts of our country.
 
 Marrying off girls at very young ages of  when their bodies are not yet fully mature has negative consequences for both their physical bodies and souls. Apparently indulgence in sexual intercourse upon being married off, accelerates onset of menstruation in them enabling them to get pregnant. But such physical maturity is more or less artificial, setting in before its naturally due time. It is like a fruit whose covering is ripe while the fruit itself inside is not yet ripe. Such a fruit would have little nutritional value.   Children should be left to enjoy their childhood years. They should not be forcefully made to be mothers at a tender age when they are not fully conscious of their task. Nor should children be made to associate/mingle with adults because they both have different outlooks to Life. Nature’s law of homogeneity should be adhered to at all times.
 
   Economically, women are no longer locked up in the house 24/7. Many now go out to work as salary earners. The informal trade is populated by women. And not a few of them can now be found in boardrooms of local and international conglomerates and other companies.  In the political field we have quite a number of women occupying high offices in this regard but women are still clamouring for more insisting that women are still marginalized a lot here. Overall, women say they still suffer a lot of inequality with men to this day. In fact in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day, the United Nations released a report that showed that gender equality is still a dream. “It is 2026 and as yet, no country has achieved gender equality. At the current rate of progress, it could take hundreds of years for women and girls to have the same rights and protections as men”, the UN stated.
 
But what exactly do we mean by gender equality’? Does it mean that we should be equal to men in all respects, that we should rub shoulders with them in all ramifications? This is a tall dream, impossible and can never happen for the simple reason that men and women are different in nature. They are cut out for different kinds of activities/roles by Nature. This is evident from their physique — men with their muscular build and women with their supple, broad hips. Thus women are suited to fine, negative kinds of activities and men coarse, hard, positive (gra gra) types. Should a woman for example be engaged in a man’s kind of activity she would not be able to perform it as good as a man and vice versa. For instance a woman deployed as an infantry soldier,  that is being in the war front as a foot combatant soldier to defend the country against its enemy of whatever kind, cannot excel in that job because of her nature, Instead a man with his coarse nature will do a better job of it. Should a female indulge in a male kind of activities over a long, long period then she will gradually coarsen her natural feminine qualities; and overtime she becomes a distorted soul. That is, a woman with male features. This also applies to men that overtime undertake feminine kinds of activities.  Such distorted souls whether male or female, are the origins of LBGQT (Lesbian, bisexual, gay, queer, transgender) persons.
 
   Women and men are split species, so they complement each other; they do not compete against each other. In performing activities assigned them by Nature and for which they are thus naturally suited, both of their activities being complementary become a complete whole that is then of full value. Thus a woman does not literary speaking stand before or behind a man but BESIDES the man, working and walking hand in hand, complementing each other’s work/activities to produce  what is complete which is then of full value to the society. Therefore, gender equality in the true sense of the word is a mirage.