By Joseph Ibekwe
Gender equality is good. But gender equality cannot be possible. It’s not practically beneficial on a wholesale basis.
Gender simply means the roles that society has assigned to men and women by reason of sex differentiation, into either male or female. But since some people refuse to be so differentiated and would rather like to be identified differently, that’s where the problems arise. How to you begin to establish gender equality? What is the basis?
What does equality mean? By reason biological imposition, there are certain things women can’t do as effectively as men and there are things men can’t do as effectively as women. These things don’t confer superiority or inferiority to either. If anyone really cares about making peaceful development, devoid of unnecessary competition, you should be interested in advocating for gender equity. This is more human and rational than the clamour for gender equality.
Gender equity means that in situations where either the males or the females are disadvantaged by reason of number, economic capacity, education or any other, the term of engagement is twerked a bit to give room for the disadvantaged group to grow and occupy. Without deliberate commitment to gender equity, even if an equal opportunity is presented, you discover that the ones that have greater advantage will take up all that do exist.
On this year’s International Women’s Day, I have bias for women. I have no Bias to Break! My bias is that women bring so much to public life, to family sustainability and to social coherence. I don’t want to break this bias. Women should first break the self-inflicted bias which compels them to compete with men in matters that requires no competition rather that cooperate for greater accomplishment.
I am averse to the statement that says, “What men can do women can do better”. This is a statement of unnecessary competition. Each of us are to support each other with our individual and unique graces, features, abilities, and dispositions for greater good of all.
Happy International Women’s Day, 2022 …Mr Joseph Chinenyeze Ibekwe is the President and Chief Executive Officer, FLED Institute
