Women: Whence the difference?

It is certainly not yet the end of history of Nigeria’s elitist women celebration of their increasing incorporation into the structures of Nigeria’s governance (or is it mis-governance?).  It was an open knowledge that the entire socio-economic activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were grounded as the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, (in almost […]

It is certainly not yet the end of history of Nigeria’s elitist women celebration of their increasing incorporation into the structures of Nigeria’s governance (or is it mis-governance?).  It was an open knowledge that the entire socio-economic activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were grounded as the First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, (in almost discredited unproductive Soviet/North Korean style) led some women groups, under the auspices of the Nigerian Council of Women Societies (NCWS), to march for peace and empowerment on Thursday 15th of August in Abuja.
But observers with memory would recollect that there was nothing original about Thursday outing. Indeed it was a continuation of the very same state financed top-down Abuja gathering of largely wives of political office holders, political female appointees and their related allies dating back to OBJ era of political sycophancy and resource wastage. Indeed it was a re-enactment of exhibited culture of “First Ladysim” and “political Wifisim”. It is not yet the end of history. In 2007, Women in Government (WIG) rolled out the drum “in profound appreciation of President Obasanjo administration’s remarkable involvement of women in governance since 1999”. At last week’s colourful televised dinner, President Goodluck Jonathan was conferred with a Life Time Icon award by the women. Similar generous awards were given to obviously over-awarded vice president and some governors.
The president cer-tainly boasts of awards overload too. Two months earlier he was honoured with the Global Women Advancement Award. I cannot recollect what award in 2007 was conferred on the then president Olusegun Obasanjo whose  bagful of awards would fill his presidential library.  But the then organizers, Women in Government, were smarter. They massaged OBJ’s ego and made sure the appreciation party coincided with Mr Large ego’s 69th (?), 70th (?), 71st (?)  or was it 72nd (?)  birthday (Obasanjo, the celebrant, told those who cared then that his birthday was anybody’s guess).  The appreciation party, just like last Thursday’s, witnessed who-was-who in females in governance; from ministers to special advisers! The impression was that OBJ was the first and the last president to enhance quantitative participation of females in government in terms of affirmative action.
Last Thursday’s rally, tagged “Celebration of Nigerian women for peace and empowerment”, created serious gridlock as security agents blocked and diverted motorists away from some of the major routes in Abuja. All roads from Berger Junction, Central Business Area and the Federal Secretariat complex were reportedly blocked for the special rally, which started around 7am at the Old Parade Ground, Area 10, Garki, as participants marched through designated routes to the Eagle Square, venue of the gathering. And that is the issue! Are we saying that when women celebrate just like men in government, socio-economic activities of a country with 70 per cent below poverty income be grounded? Whence the difference in women in governance when on the National Productivity Award Day, the Federal Capital was shut down? Why celebration on a working day, not on a Saturday?
As a gender equality activist, I am excited that women are being integrated in national development process. I am even more impressed that millions of our women including my mother earn and deserve their achievements and accomplishment not necessarily through affirmative actions. Indeed it is the society that must apologize for the historic exclusion of women in the  past  rather than women rolling out praises for leaders who are doing what they should do in the first instance if Nigeria must have a sustainable development: women inclusion.  However, as good as the feminization of governance is, the difference is not yet as clear.
As the celebration continued, uni-versities remained closed; the education portfolio is under the heel of a woman who among others signed agreements with ASUU in 2009 but implemented them in the breach. Why would the women not put pressures for reopening the universities? Certainly Nigeria parades first female defence minister of state, first foreign affairs minister, first minister of finance, ministers for solid minerals and education, first petroleum minister, ‘twice-minister’ of the Federal Republic and first coordinating minister (read: Prime Minister!) and a significant number of high profile female advisers on critical programmes like Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But Nigeria is 153rd on the global United Nations Development index out of 163 countries.
Women can and must effectively bring a different perspective into governance based on their experiences, rich heritage of struggles, competence, resistance to oppression and marginalization. In Nigeria, the expectation about the difference women could bring to bear is even very high: the widening gap between great potentials and miserable reality, mass unemployment amidst idle capacity, self-aggrandizement and corruption amidst dwin-dling commonwealth and grandiose promises and deepening poverty.
There are cynics who insist that women in gover-nance have only legitimized bad governance and under-development. The issue here is that female participation comes to naught until Nige-ria’s existing recurring failure factors, namely education, power, industry and health are transfigured into clear cut success stories. There cannot be celebration as such, until commonwealth is built in place of the present personal aggrandizement of the political elite made up of men and few privileged women.