“If I die today, every drop of my blood will invigorate the
nation.”
Late Mrs. Indira Gandhi,
Former, Prime-Minister of India.
Like
late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, tens of thousands of women in the past and at present
had contributed to the survival of human civilization, but very unfortunate,
this group, which accounts for over half of world’s population is on the
receiving end; and nearly every human society makes them look unwanted, because
of socio-cultural, political, and legal restrictions placed upon them. From
homes to public squares, from liberal to conservative, strictly, non-religious,
close, open, traditional, and dotcom society, women’s travails seem to be same.
As one culture treats them as
second-class citizens, another culture denies them basic rights male folks have
and enjoy. As one culture confines them to yesterday ways of life through
archaic cultural and religious practices, another culture is rolling back their
yesterday’s gains through democratic process, un-conventional methods of
attacking institutions that are women focused.
Violence
against women is defined as:
“a
violation of human rights and a form discrimination against women and shall
mean all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result
in physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts,
coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in
private life.” Wikipedia.
Violence
against women is “pandemic” or tersely put, global without borders; in fact,
violence against women comes nearly in the same way, in the same format with
the same denials. It begins with denying
them of basic rights: right to education, healthcare, economic opportunities,
leadership, which in turn result in dehumanizing them through rape, domestic violence, sexual
harassment, genital mutilation, female
infanticide, pre-natal sex selection, early marriage, force sterilization,
abortion, prostitution, and many more. According
to World Health Organization (WHO) about “1 in 3 (35%) women worldwide had
experienced either physical or sexual intimate partner violence…” the figure
could be higher, if every violence against women is recorded or documented. Should
21st century still carry baggage of repression and denials, which women fought
against in the 20th century? Certainly
not! Women jump-started 20th century with several demands beginning with right-to-vote;
women believed nothing significant would ever happen on issues affecting
them-if they were not part of decision making process.
And
decision making begins with representation-by-election-the development that
changed the course of history, as women around the globe shouted we must be
heard through our votes. Australia-led the world in 1902 when women began to
cast vote, followed by Finland in 1907; Denmark, 1915; Britain in 1918 for
women over 30 years; in 1920, United States joined universal adult suffrage
league; Sweden in 1921; Spain in 1931;
France, 1944; Italy in 1945; and Greece
in 1952.
What
impact did universal adult suffrage create? Women were out of society’s created
cocoon into more engaging activities, as barriers to their upward movement were
broken. Like male counterparts, they could vote and be voted for, which changed
the political dynamics of early 20th century and beyond. Nancy Aster became the
first British female member of parliament; and Margaret Bonfield, first female cabinet minister. In United States, Rebecca Latimer Felton
became the first female senator in 1922, while Nollie Tayloe Ross was the first
elected female governor in 1925 in the state of Wyoming. Across the globe,
women were making significant inroad in politics, getting education beyond high
school, joining entrepreneur ranks, participating in sports at national and
international levels, engaging in science and technology, making careers in
commerce and industry.
About
six decades into the century-women had arrived. Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike of
Ceylon, now Sri-Lanka became the first elected woman prime-minister in history;
followed by Mrs. Indira Gandhi of India in 1966; Golda Meir of Israel, 1969;
Elizabeth Domitien, Central African Republic in 1975; Margaret Thatcher of
United Kingdom, 1979; Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo, Portugal; Dame Eugenia
Charles, Dominican Republic; Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway; Benazir Bhutto of
Pakistan; Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh and many more. As of today, they’re more
than ninety women among world leaders from Pacific through Atlantic to Indian
Ocean. If world of mankind gave birth to women like: Chien-Shiung Wu, a
scientist of note, who worked on Manhattan Project as Uranium enriched
scientist; Katherin Johnson, a foremost mathematician, who calculated Apollo 11
flight path to the moon; Rosalyn Yalow, who developed diabetes test technique,
discovered birth defect and invented radioimmunoassay-technique to study
hormone; Florence Bascon, an orologist;
Cecilia Payne Gaposdikin, astronomer who discovered sun’s composition of hydrogen and helium; Rita Levi
Montakini , who made a breakthrough in understanding of nervous system; Esther Lederberg, the microbiologist, who developed a technique called “replica
plating”; Annie J. Easley, the coder and software developer
for Centaur Rocket series; Patricia Bath, inventor of device to remove
cataracts; Rosaline Franklin, the biophysicist, a major player in
discovering the helical structure of
mankind’s DNA, through x-ray of crystallography; May-Britt Moser (Edward, her
husband) discovered grid cells in brain
that helps it make mental map; and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi- the French
scientist, who discovered the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS).
These
are just few women whose impact on modern civilization are extremely strong;
time will fail me to list all women that had changed the course of
history-people like-Marie Curie-the physicist, who discovered radium and
polonium, a recipient of two Nobel awards; Marie Stopes-the paleo botanist, who
founded the first birth control clinic in 1918;
Agatha Christie, a world renowned
author-who had sold more books than anyone-except the Bible and William Shakespeare; Dorothy
Hodgkin-the Vitamin B-12 discoverer-and decipher of insulin structure, and the
inventor of X-ray. If women had achieved this feat in history-especially so, in
recent times, why violence against them? Why denying them education now? Why inflicting economic injustice against
them? Why making financial gains through their biological and physiological
make up?
Why
the rape? Why domestic violence against them? Why being the victims of unjust
socio-cultural and religious practices? The “why questions” are unlimited. No
doubt, it is time for humanity to change their attitude toward women, they will continue to a great source of joy
to mankind, but this joy could be more,
if all restrictions against women are removed; if repression against them are eradicated; if unfavorable religious
practices abolished; more so, creating a level playing field for both males and
females. If mankind can do this now-for
certainty-21st century will be the century of WOMEN.
SILAS ABAYOMI
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