Women
What Hope For Women In 2011?
Of a truth, women participation in politics is insignificant in our country Nigeria.
During the pre-colonial era, Nigerian women were very active in politics. They demonstrated awareness about their political rights through the Aba women of 1929 in which they fought the colonial rulers, a supposition that they would be taxed at a time of declining profit from the palm produce trade.
Despite their limited roles, Nigerian women have collective interest of speaking with one voice.
Findings have shown that the Nigerian woman performs five multiple roles. She is a mother, home manager, community leader and organiser, producer, social, cultural and political leader.
The 1995 Beijing Conference in China was a clarion call for the reawakening from age old bondage and cultural barriers. Significant progress have been recorded by female gender in politics in Nigeria in recent times.
Nigerian women waited for so long to have the first female senator in 1983, Senator Franca Afegbuna.
In 1992, out of 91 (ninety one) senatorial seats into the National Assembly, a seat was won by a woman Kofo Akerele Bucknor from Lagos State. But in 1999, women won three seats in the senatorial namely Florence Ita, Stella Omu and Kirat Rasaki Gwandabe.
Presently, there are nine female senators in the National Assembly helping to shape events in legislature. They are Senators Joy Emordi (Anambra North), Gbemiso Saraki (Kwara Central), Senator Chris Anyanwu (Imo East), Hajia Zainab Abdukudir (Kure Niger), Iyabo Obasanjo Bello (Ogun Central).
Others include Lady Uffort Ekaette (Akwa-Ibom South), Mrs Patricia Akwashi (Nassarawa), Nkechi Nwogu (Abia Central) and Senator Grace F. Bent (Adamawa). As it is, the present political dispensation has a record of six female deputy governors including Erelu Olusola Obada, Osun State, Alhaji Salmont Makanjiu ola Badru (Ogun), Mrs Virgy Etiaba (Anambra State), Dr Mrs Ada Okuonu (Imo State), Mrs Sara Adebisi Sosan (Lagos State) and Mrs Pauline .K. Tallen (Plateau State). Women need more political awareness and consciousness.
Women marginalisation in the political sphere is apparent. Not a single executive state governor is a woman. A number of reasons may account for this and include apparent discrimination and the difficult methods of conducting political affairs at party and community levels that make it difficult for women to participate effectively in politics.
It is worthy to note that our President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, holds women in high esteem when it comes to politics.
Mrs Priscillia Ibienimi, a politician and business woman advised that women should be given preference in terms of elective positions, stressing that the rule adopted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should be religiously implemented where it is stated, that where women seek for nomination and elective position, be it councillorship position, or chairmanship position if it is only one woman, such woman automatically becomes the candidate of the party without any primaries to be conducted with her male counterpart.
Participation of women in politics is still very low said Madam Lali Green, a renown politician. She advocated a campaign for enlightenment of women. She lamented that women shy away from politics because of the do or die nature of politics contending that women cannot withstand men in terms of violence, though there are women that are wild in nature.
Mrs Lali Green reiterated the need that women are willing to take up the challenge and rise to the rostrum to defend the cause of women in Nigeria’s politics if given the right political equilibrium.
It is pertinent to recall that late former president Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua of Blessed memory kept to his promise appointing 30 per cent women into his cabinet.
The late president kept to his promise through the appointments of the following, Professor Dora Akunyili, Minister of Information and Communication, Mrs S. H. Sulaiman, Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Deziani Allison Madueke, Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mrs Fidelia .A. Njeze, Hon Minister of State, Agriculture and Water Resources, Hajia Aisha Dukku, Hon Minister of State Education.
Also inclusive is Mrs Grace Ekpiwhre, Hon Minister of State, Works and Housing, Ms Amal Pepple was the Head of Service of the Federation while Mrs Farida Waziri is the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Boss.
Women participation in politics has taken a progressive leap since the advent of the nation’s democracy making a difference in the lives of women to become more politically conscious, focused and service to humanity.
Nonetheless, women need courage and support from their male counterparts, the civil society and other individuals as women are considered to be in various positions to provide effective leadership as in other countries.
The pathetic state of womanhood threw a challenge to spouses of rulers in this country, hence the birth of programmes in the 20th century such as better life for rural women and its success and Family Support Programme 1995. Today, we have Pet Programmes to alleviate the suffering of women, change her perspective to fit into the changes and challenges of the 21st century. Such programmes include Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) The Child Care Trust. Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) in Rivers State, is a household name because destinies of women have reshapened and reshapened by the acquired Taxi given to beneficiaries through the wife of the Governor of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi. The glory goes to God and thanks to a mother of great vision and love for humanity who has helped Rivers women to sustain their families with the commercial taxis.
Also, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dame Patience Ibifaka Jonathan, an amiable woman is endeared to many for her philanthropic and charitable works to widows and orphans.
Founder of the A. Aruera Reach Foundation that over the last eight years trained 4,000 women in different skills to enable them take care of themselves and their families.
Indeed she is a role model adding value to the lives of women, orphans and the less privileged.
Her soup kitchen largesse has turned the lives of women around for the better.
Dame Patience Jonathan assisted with medical care on children with heart condition.
Recently, she was in her home state Rivers to launch her dream Women for Change Initiative.
Actually, women have come a long way in Nigeria and should be treated equally with their male counterparts. No preferential treatment should be given to the men. Women are working very hard to keep this country going.
Julie Jumbo
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
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.
