A Professor of Comparative Study of Religion and Gender Studies at the Department of Religions and Peace Studies, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University Ojo, Adepeju Johnson-Bashua has stressed the need for government at all levels to reposition the educational sector to be more sensitive to gender equality when admitting students, so as to address high illiteracy among women which makes it difficult for them to fight for their rights in Nigeria
Prof. Johnson-Bashua who was delivering 105th inaugural lecture of the university titled "Historicing, Contextualising and Justifying Women's Aluta Continua In Unkind Religious Spaces", expressed concern over low participation of women in decision-making in parliament despite the introduction of a quota system which she blamed on the stereotyped gender roles assigned to both sexes
"Girls are more likely to be deprived of education because their roles in life are to be that of a wife and mother. Educating women will reduce vulnerability to marginalisation", she stated
The don , an advocate of girl-child education also appealed to Priests in the church to have attitudinal change towards female colleagues by changing what she described as rigid stance of
of treating women as misfits.
"There is a need for a more tolerant and accommodating attitude from priests towards their colleagues, especially the females who find themselves studying religion by providence. The holier-than-thou attitude must be jettisoned in order to win souls for Christ. They must realise that many of their colleagues already feel insecure about their future in the field, so they must not compound issues through the rigid stance of treating them as misfits," she recommended
The Professor of Comparative Study and Gender Studies in her recommendations also called on the United Nations General Assembly to reaffirm its Convention on Eliminating all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), thereby making it compulsory for all nations of the world to adopt this policy as a cardinal objective of their constitutions
"Violation of this convention in any form should be met with stricter sanctions. This way, women's personalities and aspirations will be respected in all sectors", she maintained
The inaugural lecturer emphasized the need for women to enjoy unfettered gender equality in religious space, saying it is essential for a proper interpretation of scriptures which reflect the equal status of both sexes before God.
"The scriptures of the three religions display a generally positive attitude to the world and the place of humans within it, thereby giving both sexes secular and religious power based on the individual’s worth. This was the premise upon which power was allotted in the pre-colonial era, where women enjoyed fair equality. A good understanding of these cosmologies is essential for a renegotiation of gender equality in religious space", she said
Prof. Johnson-Bashua equally advocated for overhauling of cultural Status of women in African societies , insisting that transformative gender equality cannot be feasible until the cultural status of women as inferior to men in patrilineal society is re-evaluated.
" This is sacrosanct for the holistic development of any society because women are continually defying the limitations that society has culturally placed on them through nationalist and feminist agendas in order to further their rights as individuals", she argued
"Passing laws and policies alone does not ensure substantive gender equality or even equity and respect for women’s human rights if the cultural perception of the people is not corrected. This will also bring about attitudinal changes in women who are conservative towards the fight for gender equality based on cultural bias", she submitted
The don at the inaugural lecture held under the Chairmanship of the university's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, also recommended the need for government to give priority to women in its poverty alleviating policies or programmes , saying implementing programmes that are inclusive and transparent will ensure equal access to economic opportunities autonomy, credit facility, land ownership, inheritance as well as education and other support services
"Men still enjoy a larger share of the economy; thus, poverty stands at the root of gender discrimination in our patriarchal society, and the economic dependence on the male counterpart is itself a cause of gender disparity. Eradicating poverty should be a priority for all sectors of society, with the main concerns focused on women" , she concluded
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