There is this stereotypic and patriarchal view of the fear or demeaning interpretation of the participation of young women in politics.
This view has generationally been the bedrock of the sociopolitical subjugation of women in matters that affect them as much as the men in the society.
Historically, the woman has been through numerous restrictions, deprivations and condemnations whenever it comes to human and societal benefits that shouldn’t be accorded to people on the basis of gender.
This victimization of young women has even been backed by the prevailing science of every era; for example in the 19th century in the USA, women were not allowed collegial education, not allowed to obtain Ph.D, were restricted on the basis of gender to the role of secretaries in the corporate world, and many more.
Margaret Washburn was a victim of this insanity of the 19th century, but she fought back against such system and she later got her Masters degree and her Ph.D.
She never married because it was a general policy of that time that married women could not serve as teachers or professors in co-educational settings. This obviously was her way of revolting against a system that has been exploiting and restricting women from participating in the development of science, all because of their body anatomy.
This inequality went on for generations in different ways and conscious women have always been at the vanguard of making sure of the inclusivity of women in sociopolitical, scientific, educational, and professional matters that affect the whole of humanity regardless of gender.
Mind you, this issue of the systemic subjugation of women’s freedom is not restricted to the western world, but also in our indigenous African and Nigerian societies. One of which is the cultural commodification and objectification of the girl child. This immaterial and inanimate view and measure of the girl child has extended into almost every fabric of our society and has been restricting women from expressing themselves wholly and also contributing to the development of society.
Although, over the years this war against the girl child on the basis of sex, gender and gender roles with the negative influence and backing of culture, morals and religion has been consistent and yielding great results which is the extent to which women are free and given equal opportunity to participate and contribute to society.
One of the structures which represents an institution that absolves the complexity, multiplicity, practicability and authenticity of transformative and alternative ideas is the University.
The University is a place where students (male and female alike) have access to the universality of knowledge that embodies the universal realities of human science.
But our University being an example of such a place have now been turned to a haven of systemic and toxic form of Patriarchy and subjugation of the girl child.
One of the rumors flying around Obafemi Awolowo University campus is the fact that this crop of Students Union leaders went backdoor on vacations with the University Management only to negotiate and come back to agree to the increase in school fees and other fees , even triple the amount being paid.
And one of the dehumanizing and devilish deals they agreed to, according to rumors, is the fight against the participation of the female students in politics.
This set of Union leaders forgot the tenets of our Socialist Union that supports the freedom of the girl child and sabotaged over 33,000 students by agreeing to enslaving the minds of female students in OAU on sociopolitical matters.
As if the trend of the fight against the female students on OAU campus goes from bad to worse , we’ve had issues where the dressing of ladies on campus are being policed by ICT staffs, such that they dictate the kind of dress ladies should wear to exam halls on campus.
We also had issues where a student that’s a member of one of the numerous cult-like committees created by the Union executives harassed and was threatening a female students because of rejection of a romantic relationship.
This objectification, commodification, subjugation, and oppression of the female child will never stop or cease until the generations of both female students and male students on OAU Campus take it upon themselves to fight against this systemic manipulation of the academic freedom of the girl child and also by participating in every of the Union activities on campus and campaign for every post available in the coming election.
Why should a whole GREAT IFE be celebrating Kinfeosi as the first Sec. Gen of the Students Union in this decade?
Would the heavens fall if a female student campaigns for the post of the President and all other positions of the CEC, HEC and SRC and wins..?!?!
Why should some Students Union positions be restricted to a certain gender and open to another in an ideally built university where intellectual competence shouldn’t be ignorantly measured by sex or gender?
Female students should start a campaign against gender discrimination in sociopolitical representation and the imminent increase in school fees.
Female students of OAU campus must fight against this machinations and ensure balance of representation at all levels of the Students Union to facilitate solidarity, equality and liberation on OAU Campus.
Aluta Continua!
Victoria Ascerta!
Written by Ejike Kelechi.
Faculty of Social Sciences
07046752200
