One Hour Radio Program Discussing the Eliminating the Barriers of Gender Bias; a Motivation for the Inclusion of women in Enugu State Politics
The program was anchored and presented by Lillian of Solid FM with the Host Speaker Oguadimma Ijeoma Joy (Executive Director, WEPBI) and the Guest Speaker Mrs. Margaret Nwagbo (Development and Woman Rights Expert). The discussion was made open by the host speaker who agreed that there were a lot of barriers limiting a woman from participating in politics.
Host Speaker: Barriers limiting women include family because women are perceived as family care takers. Factors that limit women in Enugu state include cultures and tradition, lack of orientation. They believe politics is for men. Women also see other women in politics as misplaced priority. They say that Politics is meant for the elders. Family is one of the factors limiting the participation of women in politics. They will tell you a woman takes care of the family… everything in the house; they tell her ‘you are a woman and you are not supposed to do things like this.’
Guest Speaker: Women have no substantial role and they are limited by poverty, violence, lack of orientation; they are limited by constitutional constraints, illiteracy, and ignorance. They believe it is a man’s world; cultural practices like patriarchy encourage this. Women are barely supported with information but people pick on detrimental information from her past. There are a lot of educated women. Today more women professors are recorded. The unsafe political environment is also one of the factors the family protects women from. Late night meetings are yet another hindering factor; nobody wants his wife staying out late in the nights, attending political meetings. Women have no impact on the political sphere. No cooperation by political parties, lack of will; these factors affect women. We are trying to limit these hindrances and encourage them better. In schools women should take up leadership positions and roles in life.
Host Speaker: Why are boys placed first, especially in this modern day tradition?
The Host Speaker further shared a life experience on how she was marginalized because she was a girl and a boy must head certain positions irrespective of if a girl is qualified. In her words, ‘This is a kind of factor that discourages women who have political interest.’ This further stirred the advocacy for more women participation and inclusion in politics.
Host Speaker: Women also need strong mentorship. Women are doing great in the fields they govern. More so, women are good at multi -tasking. There should be no barriers. The society should stop stigmatizing women. Men today are condoned. The African man is never wrong but women are crucified. This mentality should be completely obliterated. We should limit the limitations so women would excel in chosen schools and fields.
Guest Speaker: Women should help each other out; to the electorate and be more involved in the political process. Women are poorly represented at all levels and in every sector. The figures keep falling. This is the time women should wake up and take charge. Women should go beyond ‘women leaders’ position’. The likes of Iweala and Akunyili are great representation for women. Women should support each other as well. The discrimination against women should stop! Women should be allowed to take up vocations of their choice. Parents as well should encourage their female children from an early age. The unhealthy competition amongst women should be curbed, how can this step be achieved?
Host Speaker: Everyone must believe in themselves to be able to achieve success, and attain greater heights. People’s opinion should never matter as this can be discouraging. A lot of women have innate capacities but are discouraged by people’s opinion and background. Mentorship is an important step. Some persons need just a trigger to excel.
Guest Speaker: How women should have more confidence in themselves? Education is an important key for unleashing inbuilt potentials. Teachers too should be sensitized by NGOs. NGOs should be result oriented and less money driven. The girl child should be enlightened. Successful women should come out to aid this process.
Presenter: Do you think that religious doctrines affect women’s role in the society. Does it relegate women especially as assistants to men and not as humans that can measure up to major expectations?
Host Speaker: Religious doctrines do not affect women’s role.
Guest Speaker: A lot of female pastors are successful. As much as a woman should be submissive, men should also love and take care of their wives. The Catholic Women Organization (CWO) is a good example of an organization in the traditional Catholic Church where women govern and make major policies that influences the Church.
Host Speaker: What about Deborah in the Bible? She was a woman and a great leader too so religion is not a limiting factor to women being leaders in the society.
The presenter made the phone lines open at this point and callers began to call in from their different locations to air their view on the topic at hand.
Caller 1: Dropped
Caller 2 (Mary): When you were talking, it was as if you were just referring to me, because back then, I always told my mum, I want to be a lawyer. She called me and my sister she said what do we want to become in future I told her I wanted to become a lawyer and the first thing she told me was that ‘lawyers die on time because they do accept bribery. I told her it will not happen to me because not everybody collects bribe as they become lawyers. I might make the change. She discouraged me. I redirected and told my mum and brother I would become an actress and my brother said that actresses pass through a lot of process and some people sleep with their managers to get to the top. I was tired and confused. I was very intelligent. My sister encouraged me and told me to pursue my law career and I’m doing well right now.
Guest Speaker: I believe your mother got it all wrong. I’m proud of you. I celebrated 40 years as a lawyer the other day and I am still alive, still moving and still healthy. With the passion I’m hearing in your voice right now you would have made a good lawyer.
Host Speaker: She can still do it. It is not late. You can still be whatever you want to be. You can still be a lawyer. You can go ahead and apply for it. Anything that makes you happy is who you are. I encourage you go back and become that which you want to become.
Ferdinand from Afikpo: Good morning ladies in the studio. I like this topic. Like in Nigeria, our leaders are the problem. They don’t give an enabling environment for the females. In other countries like you mentioned, the women are given a condusive environment but will it happen in Nigeria here?
Camillus from Abakpa Enugu: I have to thank you very much for what you are saying. The truth is before you talk about women u first look at the type of country; how Nigeria is moving. The like of Ngozi Iweala is supposed to be our president right now or our governor at least. When it comes to women she is supposed to be our role model; the way she is graced; starting from her life style. You know with women going into politics, the first thing men think of is am I going to lose my wife? Or am I going to get my wife back? Ngozi Iweala has all the qualities. She can go out there and her husband can go back and sleep. She is not going out to entice people, and we have this kind of women. Some women would make their men live in the fear of whether she will return to her family. But the problem is that for some of our women, if they are given that opportunity they might end up destroying their families.
Guest Speaker: Thank you Camillus for that and I hope you can hear me? First, you have to have confidence in your wife. If you are suspicious of her every move, if you believe she will go into politics and mess around she will equally mess around as a teacher, or a nurse. Know the woman you married, encourage her, carry her along, trust her, and believe in her. No woman becomes loose because she wants to belong in politics. A virtuous woman is a virtuous woman so please cancel it from your mind that when a woman goes into politics she becomes a loose woman.
Caller 5: Dropped
Caller 6: Dropped
Caller 7: Dropped
Caller 8 (Solomon, Obinagu): Dropped
Caller 9: Dropped
Caller 10 (Okorie Ogbonna): I just want to commend your show.
Presenter: Thank you so much
Caller 11(Valentine Chukwuelosalam): The general director and founder of Global Exotic. Please I like this topic. There is something that is going on and it is very viable and going viral. It happens in so many places. It is a gift from God. There are certain things that a woman can pass through that a man may not be able to. If you put the women in a position that she can have the right to pass out such training and potentials she will do very well in comparison to a man. We should not use gender differences to limit women and present them wrongly. Finally, in terms of men allowing their women to become leaders; this depends on how you accommodate your wife. The type of trainings given to her even before you married her; what you chip into her, will establish the basis of trust you have in her. Thank you and God bless.
Guest Speaker: It’s been wonderful talking to everybody here. I enjoin CBOs, CSOs, NGOs and people of substance to fund programs and mentor our girls, empower them; women should support women and with our numerical power make policies that can be beneficial to the girl child. Thank you.
Host Speaker: There would be a ‘Women Leadership Academy Training’ where women would be mentored to believe in themselves, there would be room for self-discovery and talent maximization. Subsequently, the world would follow suite.
She encouraged women to believe in themselves as well.
The show came to an end successfully.
