Men are superior and women should stay in the kitchen and raise children. That’s what many men in Nigeria – known to be a patriarchal country – believe.
Gender equality is not regarded by many men in Nigeria’s communities as an important human rights issue for women.
RNI reporter Aisha Jamal spoke to men in Maiduguri about their feelings on the subject. One of them said gender equality was “unacceptable and the male is always superior”.
Muhammad Ali said: “Women are supposed to remain at home accepting that the men will take care of them. The best option for women is to stay at home, look after the household duties and the children so that they raise a good generation. The man is always considered superior and it is his responsibility to provide for his wife’s needs. But the two can never be the same or equal. Men are superior to women.”
Abdullahi Yunusa, a father, said there were differences in gender but society still regarded men as superior because they were seen as protectors of women.
“Gender equity means respect and kindness for and from both a woman and a man; it is reciprocal in nature – one cannot receive without giving.”
Aminu Muhammad, a civil servant in Yobe State, said that from creation men and women were created differently and each had a specific responsibility based on their physical appearances and needs.
“Justice demands gender equity for women and men – one cannot surpass that right because that creates inequality.”
Fati Jidda Harun, a gender-based violence (GBV) worker at the Gender Equality, Peace and Development Centre (GEDaDC) in Maiduguri, said equality involved everyone: women, men, girls and boys.
“That is one of the core principles of our organisation – to remove any barriers that prevent the full participation of women and girls in the public and political rights.”
She said: “Gender equality does not mean that we are advocating that woman are superior to men, which is what many people think we do. Rather we promote equality as a human right for each person – male and female – that needs to be observed.”
At one community gathering with men and boys about the equality of genders, many of the men responded that women were given more chances than men because even non-governmental organisations (NGOs) recruited more women than men. They said when the women had work responsibilities, they often neglected their home duties and lost respect for their spouses, declaring that they were equal to men.
Harun said despite societal perception that women were inferior to men, GEDaDC, through awareness programmes, promoted and emphasised the importance of gender equity, which gave women and men the same rights, meaning neither gender should feel subordinate.
She emphasised that gender equality was a basic human right.
“Equity for women is low in this country because men have set up barriers that have prevented girls from getting an education and not allowing women to work or have any say in decision-making. When such cases are reported to us, we look into it, investigate and try to find a solution that works for both parties.”
According to community perception, women were to be cared for and looked after by men, whose main role was to provide money, care and protection, she said. This often meant that women – although it was their right – were not able to participate and contribute to the society in which they lived.
“Many men believe that when women are allowed to mingle and go to work, it disrupts families, even though the money she brings into the household helps to make all their lives more financially stable. Unfortunately, many men still do not accept this and believe that women’s roles should be dedicated to the family and they should remain at home because that is their place,” Harun said.
The United Nations said gender inequality in Nigeria was influenced by different cultures and beliefs. In most parts of Nigeria, women were considered subordinate to their male counterparts, especially in northern Nigeria where men believed that women were best suited as home keepers.
AISHA JAMAL
