The role of
women in nation building.
In the olden
days, women were over looked. As a result of the patriarchal nature of the
society, women were seen as inferior. Most times, they were just active in the
private sphere. For the public sphere, they were not given the chance to
explore their potentials because they were only seen as nurturers and home makers.
The advent of globalization has served as eye opener for a lot of people on the
role of women in the society. Gender activism has stressed the importance of
bringing women to the fore-fronts of national development. More and more,
gender equity is becoming stressed by various organizations part of which is the
issue of female leadership. More women are getting involved in politics,
community development, playing key roles in the helm of affairs of a nation, likewise
amplifying their voices in every sector of life.
However, one can
observe that there is still low representation of women contributing to
national development. There is still stereotype attached to female leadership.
The question is how well have women prepared themselves for leadership
positions in our society? How well have women believed that they could also
lead? How well have women defied all odds and taken up the mantle of
leadership?
It is therefore
necessary for more women to rise up to the challenge and prove their abilities
and capacities. From early stage, most young girls are apathetic towards
happenings in their immediate environments; discussions on fashion are mostly
preoccupations instead of intellectual discussions on governance and nation
building.
On the other
hand, it can be observed that some young girls are interested in leadership
positions but are not given the chance to lead therefore at the long run, the
needed experience and qualification they need for high positions are not there
like their male counterparts as they grow older. It is therefore necessary for
more women to stand up for themselves likewise women supporting women in order
to achieve this. Most often than not, when women rise up, her fellow women tend
to be non supportive judging one another's abilities based on gender which
ought not to be. More women need to stand up for themselves in order to ensure
more women are actively involved in community building.
The need for
women to be actively involved in community building and national development
cannot be totally done without engaging boys and men. There is need for boys
and men to see that there will be greater output and more development if more
women play active roles in other spheres of life aside the family circle. It is
highly necessary that men are actively engaged to achieve this cause for a more
sustainable world.
Most at times, a
number of people detest female leadership because of bad experiences some have had
but then I believe this is a clarion call to women that if given the chance, it
should be used optimally so that it will serve as a motivating factor for other
women to come not just in their generation but even generations yet unborn.
I also believe that
educational institutions play active roles in ensuring this. There are cases
whereby women face bullying as a result of taking up a leadership position. It
is disheartening that educational institutions which are supposed to be
hallmark of enlightenment fuels disparity.
Finally, there
is need to catalyze action towards ensuring young girls get interested in
nation building and also the need to equip them with gender specific leadership
skills to thrive because in reality the realities a male leader faces are quite
different from what a female leader faces. In all, ensuring that more women
lead does not mean incompetent ones should lead but a need for equal playing
grounds for both genders.
It is high time
we rose up to that challenge that leadership comes with a great task and one
has to be exceptional and well-equipped to handle it. Women need to show the
world that they can deliver. Women carry that influence but why the
under-utilization. Women, rise up to the challenge and let's see more women in
position of leadership. Women can do it.
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