Greetings Steemians!
Sometime last year, I had the opportunity of participating in a continental essay contest organised by African Regional Organisation for Standardisation(ARSO). Um, I came seventh after the contest. Lol. It wasn't that bad it; or was it?
Here is the essay. I'd appreciate your appraisals and criticisms.
**INTRODUCTION**
Over the past years, there has been this outcry almost in every nation especially developing ones on the need to enhance the struggle for human right. Emphasis often is laid on the rights of women. This can be partly explained by the preponderance of chauvinistic idiosyncrasies in some African traditions. Today, this struggle has become a big issue such that international bodies like United Nations and African Union are mounting campaigns for it. In this discourse, we shall look at how the rights of women in Africa can be promoted through standardisation.
PROBLEMS MILITATING AGAINST THE RIGHT OF WOMEN IN AFRICA
Briefly, let us examine some of the limitations faced by African women.
In eastern part of Nigeria where I come from, farming activities in the villages are mainly done by women. It is sad that these women who cultivate these foods are deprived ownership of lands. They rarely inherit lands and properties. They are at the mercy of men who dictate how, when and which lands should be used for farming. In corroboration, Mahawa Kaba Wheeler, the director of Women, Gender and Development at the African Union revealed that African women roughly owns 1% of the land despite farming and producing most of the food from the land.
There is still this chasm in granting women equal opportunities with men in the contemporary Africa. Till today, some union bodies and associations exclusively reserve top leadership positions for men. Some argue that women’s involvement in governance has increased over the years; statistics however shows that the lowest ranked countries in gender disparity by gender inequality index are predominantly African countries.
Boys are still more empowered educationally than girls in majority of African countries. Ironically, most of these countries have more female population. According to the Education for all Global Monitoring report, UNESCO, on sub-Saharan Africa in 2015, 187 million adults in this region (sub-Saharan Africa)as at 2012 lacked basic literary skills. 61% of these are females. Same report also showed that less than 80 girls were enrolled in primary education for every 100 boys in Angola, Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan.
Sexual abuse, girl child marriage, domestic violence are among the limitations of the African women. These malaise often present with emotional trauma which affects both the psychology and productivity of these women.
Obnoxious practices such as disinheritance of properties from widows are still being practiced in some places; this is also true with female genital mutilation. Flooding of the African markets with fake products such as sanitary pads and cosmetics are not left out. They constitute great hazard to the health of our women.
STANDARD AND ITS ROLE IN PROMOTING WOMEN RIGHT IN AFRICA
International Standard Organization defined standard as a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products and services are fit for their purpose4. Standards cut across every field or area of life - technology, health, food processing, etc. The International Standard Organization currently has over 21000 published international standards. The importance of standardisation is such that almost every nation has a national standard bureau saddled with the responsibility of regulating and monitoring the quality of services and goods produced or coming into the country for the overall benefit of the citizens. Examples are standard organization of Nigeria and Tanzania Bureau of Standards.
Fake and/or sub-standard products and services predispose one and the nation to dangers and risks of varying degrees. This is what standards check. Products such as sanitary pads, cosmetics and clothing accessories are important to women. Beauty products enhance the look of women, and beauty has a big effect on feminine influence and power.
Standard practices in the health sector are the surest way of combating mortality and ensure the right to life of our women. A. O. Fowale et. al reported that the probability that a woman will die from a maternal course is 1 in 31 in sub-Saharan Africa compared with 1 in 4,300 in developed nations. In a separate presentation by Mahawa kaba wheeler, she disclosed that the lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth in Africa (Excluding North Africa) is 1 in 22 women compared with 1 in 8,000 women in the developed world1. She further revealed that 80% of those deaths could be prevented by simple quality interventions. This underscores the benefit of standard practices.
Standard creates value. It encourages business growth. In Nigeria for example, standard pharmaceutical practices have ensured the thriving of a company like Emzor Pharmaceuticals whose CEO is a woman. Women love safe environments. Standards reduce risks and thus will boost their confidence in going into businesses. By this way, there will be an increase in the growth of small and medium scale enterprises which undoubtedly is significant to the economic growth of African nations.
Standard policies such as seen in democracy encourage the rise of women leaders. Notable women in this regard include Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Joyce Banda of Malawi. Standard bureau boards have also shown good examples. Currently, a woman, Dr. Eve Christine Gadzikwa is the president of African Organisation for Standardization (ARSO). At the International Standard Organization, women such as Sophie Clivio have made impacts. The memory of the war waged by late Prof. Dora Akunyili against fake drugs in Nigeria will not easily be forgotten. These women among others serve as role models to the younger ones in the society. Their potentials would have remained under-utilized if there were no standard playing fields for them to serve.
CONCLUSION
So far we have been able to show the value standardisation creates in relation to the right of African women. However, there is more to be done. More awareness on standardisation needs to be created especially in the rural areas. Mass sensitization on the need of educating the girl child should be heightened. There should be a safe and standard cultural practices such that the obnoxious ones infringing on women’s right get obliterated. Barriers on international trade need to be lowered. Women entrepreneurs need to be encouraged with loans and grants. No office or position should be reserved on gender basis. Finally, there should be a strict enforcement of laws against gender discrimination. Such laws should be enacted in societies they do not exist.
REFERENCES
Women’s Right First – African Summit. February 1 2016. Retrieved from http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/02/womens-rights-first-african-summit/ on 22nd December 2016
Gender Inequality Index – Wikipedia. Retrieved on 20th December 2016 from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_Inequality_Index
Education for all Global Monitoring Report (2015). Regional overview: sub-Saharan Africa. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) downloaded on 20th December 2016 from www.efareport.unesco.org.
ISO Standards – ISO. Retrieved from http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards.htm on 22nd December 2016
A. O. Fawole et. al (2012). Predictors of maternal mortality in institutional deliveries in Nigeria. African Health sciences: 12(1):32-40 retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3462508 on 22nd December 2016.