Women
Empowering The Girl Child
Girls were taught to cook, to take care of the family, and then married off. Studying was off-limits to girls.
In those times, there lived a girl. She was a little different. She always had lots of questions in her mind.
When she was little, her mother wanted her to learn cooking.
The girl asked her mother, “Why should I learn to cook?”
Mother said, “So that you can feed yourself when required.”
The girl said “Fair enough”, and learned to cook.
After some time, her mother wanted to teach her household work.
The girl again asked, “Why?”
Mother said “So that you can be self-dependent.”
The girl said “Fair enough!”, and she learned the household chores.
Then one day, her parents told her that they will be marrying her off soon.
She asked, “Why?”
“Because all girls get married at this age.” Said the parents
“Everyone does, and so should I? That’s not a good reason. I am not going to get married.”
The girl’s determination surprised her parents. Other parents could have forced the girl into marriage, but her parents didn’t.
So, now the girl had enough time in hands. As her father was a teacher, she joined her father’s academy. There she learned several hymns and their meanings. She asked her questions and learned even more. Soon, she surpassed her father in knowledge.
One day, an invitation arrived. It was from the king. The invitation was for the brightest scholar in the academy. As it happened, the king wanted to compile all the knowledge in the universe into books. To get the inputs, he had invited scholars and philosophers from all over the world.
There was a discussion in the academy about who to send for this conference. After a lot of thought, they all agreed that the girl is the brightest scholar in the academy. So, the girl was sent to the conference.
When the girl reached the conference venue, she was taken aback by the grandeur. She noticed a large number of men, but hardly any women among the delegates.
She climbed the Dias to take her seat. Suddenly, there was huge uproar — people in the audience were staring at her.
“A woman, who thinks she can sit on the scholars’ panel?The King
“Preposterous!” Screamed someone.
“Look at her clothes, so provoking. I don’t think she is female of good reputation.” declared another.
“Stop her! It’s a sin against god.”
Everybody looked at the king for a solution.
The king pondered for a moment.
“Girl, there is some misunderstanding. A woman can’t sit on the scholars’ panel, unless she is accompanied by a man.”
“Pardon me, Your Grace! But I was invited to join the discussion.” Said the Girl.
“I don’t remember inviting you.” said the King.
“You sent the invitation for the brightest scholar in my academy. I am the brightest in my academy. On the invite there was nothing about only male scholars being allowed.” Answered the girl.
The king gave little chuckle.
“You have made a good point. I have no objection.” Said the king.
“But I don’t think a woman can join the discussion.” Murmured one of the women in the audience.
“Why?” Asked the girl.
“You will not feel comfortable around so many men” answered another woman .
“I have no problem — my focus is on my work, not men”.
“You don’t have to do this. You are not bad looking, you can marry some wealthy gentleman.” advised one elderly.
The girl ignored him.
“Let us have a discussion. If the scholars have objections, they can debate with her. If she wins, she can join the panel.” Said the king.
Several liked the solution. They were sure that the girl will be humiliated by scholars.
The scholars on the Dias discussed among themselves, and selected an elderly scholar as their representative.
“So, by joining the discussion, what you want to prove? That women are better than men?” Asked the elderly scholar.
“No, sir. I don’t want to prove anything. I am here to join the discussion, to quench my thirst for the knowledge. Like all of you.” Said the girl, fearless fearlessly.
“But greater knowledge is not for women.” Said the elderly scholar.
“I beg your pardon, sir, but why?” Asked the girl.
“Because female intellect is weaker than men.” Said the elderly scholar.
“Says who, sir?”
“It is written in the hymns.”
“May I ask, who wrote those hymns?”Asked the girl.
“The hymns were written by our forefathers.” Said the elderly scholar.
“By forefathers you mean, our male ancestors?” Asked the girl, again.
“Yes, of course. By our male ancestors.” Said the elderly scholar.
“How did our forefathers know that women have weaker intellect?”
“They noticed” said the elderly scholar, irritated.
“But how, my lord? Give me an example, how did they notice?” asked the girl again.
“I don’t remember.” Said the elderly scholar.
“Doesn’t matter. Why don’t any of you scholars ask me questions to prove my weaker intellect.”
Many scholars thought of asking her questions, but feared seeing her immense confidence.
“You ask too many questions, girl!” shouted the elderly scholar. He was furious.
The atmosphere was tense.
“Sir, answer her. Why is a female’s intellect weaker than a male’s?” said the king.
“I need to study, Your Grace, to come up with an example.” Said the elderly scholar.
“Then I can’t stop her from joining the scholars’ panel. She has come here on her own merit. I will allow her to sit on the panel until you come up with a convincing example” said the king.
People were still doubtful about girl’s worthiness. But as the discussion progressed, all doubts vanished.
Days passed. The girl took part in several discussions, asked many questions and answered many others. Other scholars were astonished by her brilliance.
When the final draft of the book was compiled, many hymns which were composed by the girl were included.
At the end, everybody agrees that the girl “who asked why” became the first female scholar.
Mehta is an expert on children’s issues.
Shon Mehta
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.