KNOW HOW YOU CONTRIBUTE TO GENDER IMBALANCE

I still remember well one of the simple definition of gender that defines it as the social relations that exist between men and women or boys and girls so to speak so that no ones can start accusing me of being age bias! Frankly speaking only few people can openly declare that they contribute to gender imbalance in the society. However, a careful analysis of this case will reveal that a majority of both women and men do contribute to the flourishing of this vice, either knowingly or unknowingly. Because the roots of partriarchy system have gone very deep in our societies (mostly African )it should not surprise anyone in case the critical analysis may find out that infact women(the victims) are the mainy contributers to this imbalance.

It is believed that a child normally is born with a tabula lasa head and thus its the parents who feeds it with what is wrong and what is right according the the guiding principles of the society where the parents live, just as a computer is manufactured with no programmes and the user decides which programmes should be fed so as to suit his intended use. The child will rapidly grasp whaterver it gets from the parents and use it immediately, probably believing that it will make it easily accepted by following the so called practice,norms,usage..you just mention!of the society.

There are many words or phrases that we mostly use unknowing that they contribute a lot to gender imbalance because of the imbalance nature of the words themselvee,here are just few examples:

when you tell your sons like this:

1.Why are you sitting in the kitchen as if you are a girl!(you make him believe that a kitchen is a place for women/girls).

2.Why are you so weak as if you are a girl!(you make him believe that girls are weak)

3. why are you crying as if you are a girl!(you make him believe that girls are hopeless)

when we tell you daughter like this:

1. You havent even washed your brothers clothes, you act as if you are a boy!(you make her believe that washing is girl's chore)

2. At this age dont know how to cook! what will happen when you get married!(you make her believe that cooking is an exclussive chore for women)

3. You seat there watching TV with your brothers on a dirty floor, mop the floor!(you make her believe that moping the floor should be done by girlz)

With these few examples, i believe you and me will be extra careful to avoid using the sited words if we dont want to part of the problem any more. The balance will soon be attained if me and you will start playing our part by practically advocating gender balance!!

Your comments are highly welcomed!!!