THE POWER OF WOMEN A CATALYST FOR CHANGE

By: Gabreil JJohnson

It is observed that the economic and social role of women in society has change tremendously over time. The traditional role and image of the women has been that of a wife and mother and her sacred duty was to serve the man. Society frowned on girls working while waiting to get married and, once married they must keep to the duties of a wife and mother. The working of woman was associated with promiscuity and indecorous behaviour. Education of women was considered unimportant since girls did not normally pay back in full measure the investment in them before they got married. Again, traditionally, marriage was always an exchange arrangement between two group of, rather than an individual contract between man and woman.

The traditional position of women portrays these “sexist quotes” that I think are excellent examples of the attitudes that have prevailed and to a great extent, still prevailing in patriarchal social systems throughout the world.
The woman’s fundamental status is that of her husband’s wife, the mother of his children-Talcott Parsons
Women should receive a higher education, not in order to become doctors, lawyers, or professors but to rear their offspring to be valuable human beings.-Alexis Carrel.
Nature intended women to be our slaves……….. They are our property; we are not theirs. They belong to us, just as a tree that bears fruits belongs to a gardener. What a mad idea to demand equality for women……. Women are nothing but machines for producing children- Napoleon Bonaparte.
In childhood, a woman must be subject to her father; in youth, to her husband; when her husband is dead, to her sons. A woman must never be free of subjugation.- The Hindu Code of Man.
On the contrary, women’s role has changed tremendously and is making its greatest impact in our society. Today, women are participating more actively in political issues than ever before as a result of political re-awakening and awareness. More often than not, they are besieged with challenges of which discrimination is more rife. Majority of the men more on chauvinistic disposition are preoccupied with the notion that decision making is exclusively for the men folk while the women are to be instructed on what to do. This idea seeing the women playing the number two role at homes has come to play itself out in the political life of the people.
Despite the difficulties face by women in politics, they continue with their political ambition, contributing enormously to the political and national development in their own way. Women over the years could be said to have recorded some measure of appreciable political achievement in other political fields of endeavors.
However, women’s role has changed at an accelerating rate and has part in areas such as politics, professional training jobs, medicine, business and law.  Formerly, they were not part of any political matter, but they have advanced in many aspects.  For example, in 1992 Mary McAleese was elected as the president of Ireland. In Finland, Tarja Halonen was elected as the president in 2000. While Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf is the current President of Liberia, Joyce Banda is also the President of Malawi. Recently, Catherine Banja was made the president of Central African Republic.  In Nigeria politics, Dr Sarah Nnazwa Jibril has contested for president as the first Nigerian woman that contested for president. She is currently the deputy chairman of progress Liberation Party (PLP).Pauline Kedem Tallen, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, Sen.Gbemisola Saraki and Sen.Nkechi Nwaogu played a major role in Nigeria politics. Mrs. Obi Ezekwesili also laid a land mark in the history of Nigeria politics. Late Professor Dora Akunyili, the NAFDAC boss has also performed credibility, leading the fight against adulterated pharmaceutical drugs; her name can never be forgotten in the annals of history. Again, women occupy a prominent position such as Deputy Governor, Ministers, Head of Parastatal, etc.
Women’s impact is simply due to the fact that they are now educating themselves. They are now concerned with improvement of their position. Women are fighting for their rights and are slowly progressing and participating in activities that they were not allowed before. One of the most important factors arising from the 70’s feminist movement is the recognition that women should get equal pay for equal work to see them as contributors and valued members of society.
This change is due mainly to the various effects of technology and modernization including education, growth of cities migration and accelerated change of the country’s economy from subsistence to industrial. A woman domestic role have changed especially in the cities when the duties which she traditionally performed in the village for family consumption, no longer apply; she therefore engage in other economic activities outside the home to supplement the family income. Similarly, the women in urban settings engage in long distance trade as they take their manufactured goods to rural areas.
This shifting role of the woman is reflected in the ever increasing economic independence of the Nigerian woman as against the traditional situation where the woman was mostly depending on her husband. Many Nigerian women today assume important economic responsibility in the home; in some cases woman provide money for the education of children where the husbands are unable to do so.
Just as in the sphere of economic activities, the modernization process has affected woman’s education in an important way. Many Nigerian women have come to accept education as an important articulating principle within the scale of the social structure. Because of this, more and more women in Nigeria today are avidly seeking education as a means of augmenting their social and economic position and great number of them has succeeded.
An increasing number of women are being turned out from educational institutions in Nigeria and this improved educational achievement is reflected in the labour market. Women are now involved in high level manpower employment and other white collar jobs. Today women are employed as professionals, doctors, teachers, lawyers and judges. They are also employed in government ministries and co operatives as administrators, managers, clerical assistant and in all types of industrial works.
In addition, the enhanced educational and occupational position of women has caused changes in other spheres of social life such as the care of the young and the selection of spouse. The increasing female participation in work outside the home, thus, means that woman are now depending upon hired domestic helps to work in their kitchens and to take care of their children. There is also an increasing use, particularly in large cities, of private day-care homes, which serve as many children as they can integrate into their physical settings and patterns of living.
Also, among educated women, there is a growing preference for western-type system of marriage which is characterizes by free choice of mate.
There is no doubt that women have some potentials and rights to contribute meaningfully to the development of their country. Therefore, the government should work towards achieving gender equality in democratic governance, increase women participation and access to politics. It must be realized that the role of women as home makers cannot be down played in that it equally has an extended impact on their responsibility in service.