The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

"By joining efforts we can surpass the injustices inflicted on the girl child and boy child alike. If left untreated, these forces will permanently scar our children and threaten the healthy growth of nations."
Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan


For a long time women have been suffering discrimination. Many cultures believe and treat women as inferior to men, women's role in some culture (up till now) is just that of bearing children and house keeping. In some African countries and Arab countries, even with modernization and the fact that women are becoming more successful in areas that were hitherto reserved for men, women are still been discriminated against. There are countries where women still cannot drive a car and there are areas in my own country (Nigeria) where women cannot be state governors, while this is not in the law, this is the painful reality.

One incident that I witnessed in the past was when one of my students was withdrawn from the school. The reason for the withdrawal was financial. The parents had two children in the school, a boy and a girl and when thing were becoming financially unbearable for the family the parents decided to withdraw of the children from the school. The choice unfortunately was the girl because she is a girl. Academically, the is girl was doing better than the brother, she is a prefect in the school, and also the senior of the two children.

A one time Secretary General of United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan once said, “ short-changing girls is not only a matter of gender discrimination; it is bad economics and bad societal policy.” There is no equity in the treatment this young lady got from her parents and even the society. No level playing ground was given to determine who will be withdrawn from the school. The parents were biased and they acted based on the prejudicial belief that male children are more valuable than female children.

For a greater equal opportunities to be given to both children irrespective of their gender, the parents of that girl in particular and that society in general need to do away with their gender discrimination. Practices, traditions, and beliefs that are detrimental to the rights of girl child should be jettisoned and abolished.